“Japan donates new patrol vessel to Indonesia’s Bakamla” –Army Recognition, Navy News

Japan CGC Oki (PL-1) prior to transfer to the Malaysian Coast Guard

Army Recognition’s Navy News reports,

“According to information published by Kompas on July 8, 2024, the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) has received a new patrol vessel from the Japanese government.”

I am a bit confused by this report. It says Indonesia “has received a new patrol vessel.” Then it says,

Construction will take place in Japan, and upon completion, the ship will be officially handed over to Bakamla by the Japanese government through JICA and Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS).

Acompanying the article is a photo of the former Japan CG cutter Oki (above, previous name Nojima, the only ship of its class) which was transferred to the Malaysia Coast Guard in 2017. (One of three JCG vessels transferred to the Malaysia CG.) Their caption even includes the Malaysia Coast Guard name for the vessel, KM Arau, without any explanation.

They report these specifics about the vessel,

The vessel, with a capacity for 70 crew members, measures 85.6 meters in length and can reach speeds of up to 22 knots.

The length does not correspond to any Japan Coast Guard vessel I have been able to identify.

A December 20, 2023, from the Asia Pacific Defense Journal, “Indonesia to receive large patrol vessel from Japan as part of aid” reported Japan would build a new ship for the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (BAKAMLA), but that is more than six-month-old news.

Could it be than Japan has already handed over an existing Japan Coast Guard vessel and is also building a new one, or is this just the result of not proofreading an AI written story?

In any case, that Japan is helping not only the Philippines but also Indonesia and Malaysia (as well as Vietnam and others) is significant.

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