NAVY STILL FINDS IT HARD TO HAVE A SQUADRON OF SUBMARINES

Surabaya, E Java, July 4 (ANTARA) - Newly-elected Naval Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Tedjo Edhi Purdijatno has said the Navy still finds it hard to have a squadron of submarines because of the current unfavorable economic conditions in the country.

"That's why we will buy them in stages, maybe two in the first stage," he said after a function marking the transfer of post of the Naval Chief of Staff from Admiral Sumadjono at the Eastern Indonesian Fleet Command Headquarters here on Friday.

The Navy used to have a squadron of 12 submarines so that a number of neighboring countries highly respected the Indonesian marines.

Purdijatno said he would continue his predecessors' policy in procuring submarines, adding that the Navy had already proposed several specifications of its military armaments to the Defense Force for consideration.

"The proposal includes alternative suppliers of military armaments. But it is up to the Defense Ministry to decide," he said.

Purdijatno, who was formerly chief of the Western Indonesian Fleet Command said the Navy still needed a great deal of military armaments, including warships, and planes.

But in view of the current unfavorable financial conditions in the country, the need for military armaments could not entirely be met, he said.

In procuring its military armaments, he said the Navy always gave priority to the national industry to encourage the country's self-reliance in military armaments.

"We continue to cooperate with a number of strategic industries in the country," he said.