Celebrate the Opening of the "Anambas" Maritime Training Center in Batam with the United States and Indonesia
Celebrate the Opening of the "Anambas" Maritime Training Center in Batam with the United States and Indonesia
The official opening ceremony and inauguration of Bakamla's "Anambas" Maritime Training Center (MTC) was presided over by Vice Admiral TNI Dr. Irvansyah, S.H., M.Tr.Opsla, Head of the Republic of Indonesia's Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla), and U.S. Charge d'affaires a.i. (CDA) Michael F. Kleine.
"The U.S. and Indonesian maritime cooperation has achieved a significant milestone today. This new center will bolster Indonesia's maritime capabilities and reinforce its position as a pioneer in combating both internal and transnational crimes, as we have stated four years after our initial inauguration," CDA Kleine stated.
The "Anambas" Maritime Training Center in Batam is a historic milestone in the ocean of friendship between the United States and Indonesia, according to Vice Admiral TNI Dr. Irvansyah, S.H., M.Tr. Opsla, Head of Bakamla. "Together, we will not only train sailors, but also build ties and relationships between nations that support maritime security and advancement for a safe and prosperous future," he declared.
With funding from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the U.S. State Department, the $1.5 million MTC completes the second phase of collaboration in Batam. The fully furnished center has offices, a conference room, and six classrooms.
Prior to this, phase I construction, which was finished in June 2022, cost more than $700,000 to build a dining hall and separate male and female dormitories that could house up to fifty pupils and twelve teachers. Joint Interagency Task Force West of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command provided funding for Phase I. The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command provided support for both stages.
CDA Kleine and Vice Admiral TNI Dr. Irvansyah continued the MTC Inauguration parade by pressing the siren button to signal the Maritime Training Center's official opening. The Maritime Training Center's facilities were also inspected by the two.
Sixteen BAKAMLA employees enrolled in a U.S.-sponsored Small Boat Operator Instructor course at the center upon its opening, becoming its first students. The U.S. Coast Guard-led two-week program will get BAKLAMA instructors ready to lead BAKAMLA personnel through the Small Boat Operator's course in the future. By improving these abilities, Indonesia will be better able to maintain security and safety along the crucial rivers that run across the Archipelago.
The bilateral Work Plan on marine Security, which was signed on November 8, 2023, aims to direct INL's capacity building support to further strengthen Indonesia's at-sea enforcement and marine domain awareness. This coincides with the launch of the MTC.
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