29 FOREIGN WARSHIPS TO JOIN INDONESIAN FLEET REVIEW

Jakarta, Aug 5 (ANTARA) - Around 29 warships from 14 countries have been confirmed to join in the Indonesian Fleet Review (IFR) 2009 which is part of the Sail Bunaken event in Manado, North Sulawesi, on August 19.

Indonesian Navy spokesman Commodore Iskandar Sitompul said to ANTARA here on Tuesday two tall ships namely 'Tunas Samudra' from Malaysia and 'Nadezdha' from Russia would also highlight the event.

The 14 countries that would send their ships to Indonesia are the US, Australia, India, Britain, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, Russia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, France, the Philippines and South Korea.

He said the US would send five warships including aircraft carrier USS George Washington. The other four are destroyers from the Seventh Fleet Command.

Australia meanwhile will send three warships namely a ship 'HMAS Leewuin'. Britain in the event that will be attended by around 8,000 participants will send one ship namely reconnaissance ship "HMS Echo".

China that has made fast progress in the last decade in the economic and defense sectors will send two destroyers to that event.

"Compared to that in similar events staged in South Korea in 2007 and in China in 2008 the number of participants in the IFR 2009 is bigger. It gives us a sense of pride," he said.

Indonesia in the event will send ten warships, one F-16 Fighting Falcon, a squadron of 212-Cassas, a squadron of Nomads, 13 government boats, 30 traditional boats and 163 yachts, he said.