LAKSAMANA.Net, August 26, 2004 05:21 PM
Indonesia Worried by Australian Missile Plan
Laksamana.Net - Indonesia has expressed concern over Australia's plan to acquire
long-range stealth cruise missiles, warning the move could spark a regional arms
race.
"There is a risk that raising the level of sophistication could lead to some kind of a
counter response," Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa was quoted
as saying Thursday (26/8/04) by the Australian Associated Press.
He questioned which countries the missiles may be directed against. "We are talking
here of an offensive capability, no longer defensive capability, and we have to ask
ourselves against whom is this long-range cruise missile being directed," he was
quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.
Australian Defense Minister Robert Hill earlier Thursday announced his government
would spend up to A$450 million on acquiring one of three cruise missile types for the
Royal Australian Air Force's F/A-18 Hornet fighters and P3 Orion maritime patrol
aircraft.
The three types of missiles being considered are:
* The Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile. A long-range stealth missile manufactured
by US company Lockheed Martin. Able to reach targets from about 400 kilometers
away.
* A variant of the precision-attack cruise missile KEPD 350, manufactured by the
European company Taurus Systems GmbH and with a range of about 350 kilometers.
* The Stand-off Land Attack Missile–Expanded Response, manufactured by US firm
Boeing. Modeled on the Harpoon anti-shipping missile, it has a range of more than
250 kilometers.
The missiles, scheduled to be introduced into service between 2007 and 2009, are
capable of destroying land and sea targets.
"The new weapon will significantly enhance the Australian Defense Force’s air strike
capability, providing a long-range, accurate and lethal attack against a range of
targets including fixed and re-locatable targets on land and sea," Hill said in a press
release.
"Combined with the new air-to-air missiles and upgraded precision-guided bombs,
Australia’s fighter jets will be the region’s most lethal capacity for air combat and
strike operations. The long range of these new missiles will reduce the risk to both
aircraft and crew by decreasing their exposure in a high threat environment," he
added.
Hill said the Defense Ministry will advise the Australian government of its preferred
weapon next year after a process of information solicitation and evaluation.
Natalegawa said Australia should have informed its regional neighbors in advance of
its reasons for wanting cruise weapons.
"We question the wisdom of this latest decision, which may not be construed by
some other countries as defensive… We would have liked, let me say, some more
transparency on the reasons. It would have lessened the risk of misrepresentation.
We have not been informed of this," he was quoted as saying by AAP.
He further said Australia could not expect its neighbors to react favorably to the move.
"You cannot arm yourselves to the teeth and expect that will lead, of itself, to a sense
of security… You have to work with the region to share in a sense of security."
Natalegawa said other Southeast Asian nations had been working hard to establish
an "architecture of security" to help promote regional peace.
He said Australia had up until now been very pronounced and forceful in expressing its
opposition to missile technology proliferation.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said his government had briefed several
countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, on the decision to
acquire the missiles.
"We're not threatening our northern nations. We're at peace and have a happy
relationship with all of our northern neighbors," he was quoted as saying by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard insisted his country had no hostile intentions
against its neighbors. "The important thing is the defense of Australia. We make
decisions based on Australia's defense interests. Our regional neighbors will
understand why we've done this."
Security Threat
News of the missile plan comes a day after an Australian think-tank announced
Australians perceive Indonesia as their country's greatest security threat.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute said a new study showed that "Indonesia is
viewed by the public as representing by far the greatest potential security threat to
Australia".
It also said more Australians have favored greater government defense spending,
especially following the 1999 crisis in East Timor.
The study said the concern over Indonesia "does not seem to be justified, either by
Jakarta's intent, or by the level of Indonesian military capability".
Australian Ambassador to Indonesia Dave Ritchie played down the report, saying it
indicated misperceptions among Australians about Indonesia, although such
misunderstandings existed in both countries. "There is a lack of knowledge on both
sides on the nature of both the countries," he was quoted as saying by The Jakarta
Post daily.
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