The Indonesian Navy has just launched its new Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) that will provide more accurate navigational data at sea than manual charts, local press said Wednesday.
The ENC, a compact disc containing navigational charts displayed by an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS), was put together by the Navy's Hydrographic Agency on Tuesday.
The ENC would provide a number of advantages, including accident alarms and continuous ship positioning.
The Hydrographic Agency, with the support of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), the Marine Port Authority of Singapore and the Japan Hydrographic Association (JHA), has completed electronic charts for sea traffic at 18 out of a total of 25 international ports in Indonesia.
The agency aims to complete the rest in 2009 in accordance with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) convention on the Safety of Life at Sea, which Indonesia has ratified, reported English-language newspaper The Jakarta Post.
The convention obliges IMO members to apply the ENC in their navigational systems by July 1, 2010 at the latest. About 35 out of the total 167 IMO member countries, including Indonesia, have applied the ENC in their navigational systems.
The Navy earlier this year also launched an ENC for the sea route connecting Malacca and Singapore Straits. The ENC, which was produced by both Indonesia and Singapore, was part of the ocean traffic system operated in three different regions in Indonesia, namely the west, central and east territorial waters.
Navy deputy chief Rear Adm. Didik Heru said the ENC did not only represent the country's ability to develop its own ENC, but also reflected its commitment to complying with international navigation safety standards.
"Indonesia's maritime area, connecting Asia and Australia, is known for its high traffic frequency by international fleets. If Indonesia does not have ENCs at its international ports, it will hamper foreign ships from traveling here," Navy deputy chief Rear Adm. Didik Heru was quoted as saying.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article