PRESIDENT : RI TO HAVE STANDBY FORCE FOR PEACE MISSIONS

Bandung, July 10 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia would soon have a "standby force" for peace missions anywhere in the world.

The head of state made the statement after witnessing the hand over of 40 APS 6X6 armored vehicles from PT Pindad to the National Defense Forces (TNI) at the PT Dirgantara Indonesia office here on Friday.

"We will soon have a standby force that can be deployed for peace missions anywhere in the world," the president said, adding that the home-made armored vehicles were not less competitive than foreign-made ones.

According to the president, the need to equip the standby force equipped with armored vehicles made at home was reflected when Indonesia declared its readiness to join the UN peace mission in Lebanon three years ago.

The president said at the time the TNI force was ready to carry out its task in the peace mission but the armament system it needed was not yet ready so Indonesia had to cooperate with France to provide the TNI with the required armament system.

From that experience, the head of state said, Indonesia should act quickly to improve the modernization of its defense system.

Yudhoyono added that the TNI and Defense Ministry were currently preparing a peace keeping center which would also function as the base of the standby force.

The president also said that the government would raise the defense budget by 20 percent in 2010.

"Starting next year, e the government will raise the defense budget significantly from Rp33.6 trillion this year to Rp40.6 trillion, or an increase by 20 percent in 2010," the president said.

According to the head of state, the budget increase in 2010 would be the starting point of the gradual expansion of the defense budget over the coming years.

"Year after year we are going to increase the defense budget, and so we will get closer and closer to the minimum military strength that we need," the president said, adding the minimum military strength the country should have required a budget of Rp100 to Rp120 trillion.