RI RECEIVES 10 AMPHIBIOUS LANDING CRAFT FROM SOUTH KOREA

Jakarta, Dec. 12 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Navy received 10 used amphibious landing craft of the LVT-7A1 type from South Korea at a ceremony at Tanjung Priok harbor here Monday.

South Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Kim Ho Young symbolically presented the US-made LVT7A1s to the commander of the Indonesian Marine Corps, Maj. Gen. Alfan Baharudin, after the boats had arrived.

The LVT7A1s which South Korea stopped using last year, arrived at Tanjung Priok harbor aboard South Korea's largest landing ship, Dokdo.

The Defense Ministry's Defense Facility Director General Rear Marshal Erris Herriyanto earlier said that the LVT7A1s from South Korea were expected to help strengthen the country's weaponry system which had so far hampered by budgetary problem.

Indonesia also got a package of LVT7A1 spare part from South Korea.

South Korea had offered the decommissioned amphibious landing craft to Indonesia in 2007 but the transfer had to wait for the US' green light, he said.

He said Indonesia would lobby South Korea to get more craft as South Korea had earlier promised to donate 35 LVT7A1s.

Indonesia is South Korea's largest Southeast Asian defense trade partner. Defense trade reached nearly US$1 billion last year, according to an official at South Korea's Ministry of National Defense as reported by Yonhap, South Korea's news agency, recently.

"Following the delivery, the Dokdo will join a defense exhibition in Indonesia in early December," the official said.

South Korea bought the boats capable of carying about a dozen soldiers each from the US in 1985 and decided to donate them to Indonesia after the Indonesian navy chief visited Seoul last year.

South Korea has been pushing to export submarines to Indonesia, which could in turn provide transport aircraft. South Korea has also sought Indonesian support in protecting its commercial vessels plying the Southeastern Asian waters from pirates. ***4***