Indonesia to build infrastructure for submarine production

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Indonesia will soon build infrastructure for the production of submarines.

The infrastructure will be built by state shipbuilding company PT PAL in Surabaya, Purnomo said after a session of the Committee for the Defense Industry Policy here on Tuesday.

He said the country is expected to have the infrastructure ready in the next two to three years.

The session of the Committee, which is chaired by Purnomo, also discusses a plan to produce jet fighter planes in the country.

Purnomo said legal umbrella would be needed before any step taken to build the war plane and submarine infrastructure.

"Support from the House of Representatives would be needed to provide a legal basis for the project," he said.

Indonesia as the world`s largest archipelago, would need strong navy and air force to protect its thousands of islands.

Indonesia has agreed with South Korea to cooperate in building the infrastructure for the production of submarines. The cooperation will include in license, engineering manufacturing and production of prototype.

Cooperation is already implemented in design technology and in the next two years cooperation is expected to be implemented in engineering manufacturing and prototype.

Indonesia and South Korea also agreed on transfer of technology in the construction of submarines.

Earlier, the government said development of modern factory to produce submarine would be implemented in 2016-2017.

The first submarine to be produced under the cooperation agreement in Korea will be completed in 2014.