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7 RCCs and RSCs are manned 24 hours a day and Indonesia has also installed two Local User Terminals (LUTs) for the COSPAS/SARSAT system which provide real time coverage of the Malacca Strait area and will minimize alerting delays for vessels fitted with COSPAS/SARSAT EPIRBS. Both LUTs cover all relevant frequencies. By 1994, Indonesia expects to install VSAT at 14 RCCs/RSCs.
8 With the exception of two helicopters, Basarnas has no dedicated, response units; however, Indonesian Armed Forces have, since 1977, had the authority to deploy any resources of the country. Because of this, vessels and aircraft are provided on an as needed basis by the various military services. Private vessels are also expected to respond to the extent they can be of assistance. Indonesian officials advised the Group there was a five-year plan to increase the number of SAR resources, which would include adding two fixed wing and four rotary wing aircraft and two rescue units.
The
9 In general, the Indonesian officials, who briefed the Group, displayed a good understanding of the principles of SAR organization and management. SAR network they described covers such an extensive sea area, resources were admitted to be spread thinly. Although at least one of the senior officials had attended formal SAR training, information on training for RCC/RSC and response personnel was not discussed.
10 On the whole, the Indonesian officials felt the basic responsibility of the RCC is to deal with emergency and search and rescue operations. They felt it would have to be determined what messages on piracy and sea robbery could/should be classified as distress messages. Further, they felt it was feasible to use RCCs for the transfer of messages concerning piracy and sea robbery from/to neighbouring countries; however, agreement should be concluded among the countries concerned before including messages on piracy and sea robbery as distress messages.
Status of the SAR Convention
11
First,
None of the three countries visited have ratified the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979. Two basic reasons were provided and each was emphasized to varying degrees in each country. it was explained that the Governments were striving to comply with the provisions of the SAR Convention; however, some parts of the Convention were unclear as to what was required and the Governments wanted to be sure they met the requirements of the Convention before they would ratify it. Second, the Governments wished to act in a co-operative fashion to ensure their combined SAR network was essentially seamless and no single Government was inclined to ratify the Convention until all were prepared to do so.
Conclusions
12 The SAR officials who met with the Group in all three countries were knowledgeable and concerned about providing a viable search and rescue capability in their respective areas of responsibility. Although there was some concern over the lack of dedicated SAR resources, the Group was assured by officials in each country that, when an incident occurred, resources were made available in a timely fashion.
13 Co-operation among the States, particularly in the area of co-ordinated vessel patrols and increased overflights, appears to have reduced the number of attacks in the Malacca Strait area.
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