JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesia plans to buy 42 former East German warships and build two new navy bases, an armed-forces newspaper reported Monday.
The publication Angkatan Bersenjata quoted Rear Adm.
Sumartono as saying Indonesia will soon purchase 16 East German large fast-patrol boats, 14 tank-landing ships and 12 mine-sweepers.
Sumartono said the vessels would augment Indonesia's existing navy, which currently has about 80 ships -- many overaged.
The rear admiral added that the navy plans to soon add bases on Aru island -- some 420 miles northeast of Australia's north coast -- as well as at the port of Sibolga, 575 miles southwest of Vietnam.
Indonesia, a nation of islands situated between Southeast Asia and Australia, currently has two existing naval bases.
However, Sumartono said adding two more bases would help the country better protect its coast from fish poachers.
