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Sail Bunaken 2009
USS George Washington leading Parade of Warships
August 18, 2009
United States aircraft carrier USS George Washington, leading a group
of warships parade presented at the peak of events in Sail Bunaken 2009 Manado. USS George Washington is accompanied
by 25 warships coming from 14 participant countries presented in the series of International Fleet Review (IFR)
2009.
USS George Washington has moved since this morning at 06.00 Central Indonesian Time from Bitung. Scheduled at 16:00
will give homage to the President of the Republic of Indonesia, the IFR delegations and representatives of a number
of ambassadors in the Bay of Manado, said the Head Of Indonesian Navy`s Information Service Commodore Iskandar
Sitompul, in Manado, on Wednesday (19 / 8 ).
At the honorary parade of those warships, Iskandar explains, replacement
of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who could not attending the event is the Coordinating Minister of Politics
Law and Security Widodo AS.
Widodo AS accompanied by the Minister of Transportation Jusman Syafii Djamal, Minister of Marine and Fisheries,
Freddy Numberi, Commander of TNI General Djoko Santoso, three commanders of the Navy, ground forces and air corps,
and North Sulawesi Governor SH Sarundajang.
In the parade formation of warships, the United States to bring the four warships. Including aircraft carrier USS
George Washington, and three destroyer. Then there are warships from Britain, Japan, Russia, Australia, South Korea,
India, Malaysia, Pakistan, China, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and France. Meanwhile, Indonesia
present its six warships.
In addition to the parade of warships, the sailing and flying pass events was clattered by the attraction of Indonesian
Navy and Air Force's Aircraft which also presented the United States Military Fighter Jets.
From Indonesia, Sukhoi fighter MK-27/MK-30 with three types of F-16 combat aircrafts share the formation with owned
by the United States navy, Intruder, Hawkeye, and F-18.
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USS George Washington leads sailing-flying pass at Bunaken
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Manado (ANTARA News) - The US aircraft-carrier USS George Washington led the International Fleet Review 2009 in
the Sail Bunaken maritime event in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday.
Immediately after being opened by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS at
4pm, the US warship moved to lead the sailing pass while launching a number of the aircraft it was carrying.
Among the jet fighters that ook off from the carrier were four F-18 Hornets, one E AG and one E2C which are reconnoisance
marine aircraft.
The event drew hundreds of thousands of spectators, residents of Manado and other parts of North Sulawesi, who
watched from Manado`s beach.
The US aircraft carrier accomodating 90 jet fighters was always escorted by two Ticonderoga-class cruisers equiped
with missiles.
Also taking part in the sailing pass were USS Cowpens CG-63, Fitzgerald
DDG 61, Mustin DDG 89 and McCampbel DDG 85, followed by KRI Sultan Hasanuddin from Indonesia, Phuttaloetia Naphalai
FF and Rattanakosin FS441 from Thailand, HMS Echo and INS Khukri P49 from Britain, KD Kedah 171 and KD Tunas Samudera
from Malaysia,
Manuel L Quezon PS 70 from the Philippines and RSS Tenacious and RSS Darling from Singapore.
Others included Coast Guard Triton from Australia, INS Airavat from India, JDS Kashima, JDS Shimayuki, JDS Yuugiri
from Japan, Guang Zhou from China, ROKS Choi Young DDH, Dae Cheong from South Korea, PNS Zulfiquar from Pakistan,
FS La Somme from France, HMNZS Canterbury from New Zealand and other Indonesian ships. |
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Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington
RI minister permitted to go on board US aircraft carrier
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Manado (ANTARA News) - Minister of Marine and Fishery Affairs Freddy
Numberi has the official permission of the United States government to visit and go on board the aircraft carrier
USS George Washington.
"The US aircraft carrier is now already in the North Sulawesi waters, but not many Indonesians are permitted
to visit the ship," Assistant Intelligence Officer of the Local Naval Base Suhartono said here Tuesday.
In the company of high-ranking officials of the North Sulawesi administration,
including Manado Naval Base Commander Willem Rampangiley, North Sulawesi Police Chief Bekto Suprapto, Legislator
Yoris Raweyai, and a number of journalists, Freddy Numberi is representing the Indonesian government.
Not more than 20 Indonesians are permitted to visit the American aircraft carrier, he added.
USS George Washington will take part in the international event Sail Bunaken in the Manado Bay, and also sent out
a number of jet fighters in a Sailing dan Flying Pass on August 19.
In the meantime, US Navy Commander Garry Roughead said the visit of USS George Washington to the area was known
by President Barack Obama, and is therefore a special appreciation to the parade of warships in Indonesia.
The US aircraft carrier has 4,500 personnel operating various systems and subsystems, including jet fighter, helicopter,
and transportation experts.
"The aircraft carrier has 75 planes on board, and is like a small American city in the Pacific," he said
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Independence Day dive breaks world record in Manado
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Tue, 08/18/2009
Indonesia plunged into the Guinness Book of Records Sunday after a mass dive as part of the Sail Bunaken 2009 event
held in North Sulawesi. The event was organized by the Indonesian Navy in conjunction with the country's Independence
Day celebrations and involved 2,861 people diving simultaneously.
Another world record was broken at the same event by the divers, including military personnel and civilians, who
held an underwater Independence Day flag ceremony in Manado on Monday.
The ceremony was the forth world record Indonesia has broken so far, Navy deputy chief Rear Adm. Moekhlas Sidik
told Antara news agency.
The breaking of two world records was a special gift for Indonesia celebrating
its 64th Independence Day.
The new world records are expected to increase visits by both domestic and foreign tourists to Indonesia, particularly
to Manado.
The 2,861 divers broke the world record as they remained underwater for 31 minutes, the longest time so far achieved
internationally.
The previous world record was broken in the Maldives by 979 divers for only 10 minutes.
The dive in Malalayang waters started at around 10 a.m. Sunday and 31 minutes later the divers, including 51 foreigners,
ended the dive gradually.
Two governors, S. Sarundajang from North Sulawesi and Fadel Muhamad from Gorontalo were among the participants.
Nine-year-old Kesia Lamudju was the youngest diver to participate in the event.
"We have broken the world record today, we are very proud of our strong maritime country," Maritime Affairs
and Fisheries Minister Freddy Numberi said in Manado.
The record breaking success was decided by a representative from the Guinness Book of World Records, Sinogagliesi
Lucia, who witnessed the event.
Lucia said the record breaking dive was valid and amazing.
The event was extraordinary because so many people joined the mass dive and broke a world record, Lucia added.
North Sulawesi legislative council member, Benny Rhamdani, said the world
record success deserved a special commendation from the central government.
"There should be special recognition of the organizers and the region holding the international event as it
has boosted Indonesia's image overseas," he told Antara.
The event was tightly monitored by a helicopter that hovered over the dive site, and four Indonesian warships,
as tens of thousands witnessed the event. |
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Record
mass dive in Indonesia: Guinness
(AFP) – Jakarta, 17 August 2009
Almost 2,500 scuba divers set a new
world record Monday
for the largest mass dive, Guinness World Records said.
AFP: Divers crowd the waters of Manado to set the first
ever record
for the largest group scuba diving licence
A total of 2,486 divers were involved in the bid off the coast of North
Sulawesi, Guinness adjudicator Lucia Sinigagliesi told AFP.
"This event was amazing and well-organised and made possible because of the people who came and participated,"
she said, after confirming that the group had broken the record for "Most People Scuba Diving Simultaneously."
The previous record was set in the Maldives in 2006, when 958 divers took
part in a mass dive, Sinigagliesi said.
The challenge was part of the Sail Bunaken 2009 maritime event being held as part of Indonesia's efforts to establish
the Sulawesi town of Manado as a world-class tourist spot, Navy spokesman Iskandar Sitompul said.
To mark Indonesia's 64th Independence Day, the participants unfurled the country's flag underwater.
"We've shown the world that as the world's largest archipelago, we can manage our waters well and there's
a lot of tourism potential here," he added.
Widodo AS, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security
affairs, is scheduled to take the salute after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono canceled at the last minute.
First Adm. Iskandar Sitompul said Sail Bunaken was held on a larger scale than any other Asian maritime event.
“Thirty-three countries confirmed that their ships will take part in the review,” he said, adding that only 11
countries participated in a similar event held in South Korea last year.
Other warships to be shown include the USS McCampbell, a US missile destroyer; the INS Kuhkri, an Indian frigate;
and the JDS Kashima, a Japanese training vessel. Indonesia’s latest naval acquisitions will also be shown.
“We are going to deploy our four Sigma class corvettes to show the world that we also have first-rate warships,”
Iskandar said.
The nine-day event, designed to build cooperation between seafaring nations, finishes on Thursday.
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Warships
in Sail Bunaken event
Adianto P. Simamora , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 07/24/2009
Indonesia will host the biggest ever maritime event bringing together the world's largest warships including the
USS George Washington super carrier with around 5,000 crew members on board, the event organizer said Thursday.
The SailT Bunaken 2009 event will be held from Aug. 12 to 20 in Manado, North Sulawesi and will showcase 31 foreign
warships, 10 Indonesian warships, three tall ships and 165 sailboats and yachts from 29 countries.
"More than 1,500 divers from across the world have confirmed their attendance to Sail Bunaken festivities,
which is expected to break the Guinness Book of Records," Aji Sularso, secretary of the national committee
told reporters.
He said that none of the participants had cancelled their visits due to last Friday's twin hotel bombings hitting
the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriot hotels, which killed nine people and injured more than 50.
"Navy chiefs of staff from 25 countries and ambassadors from participating countries have confirmed their
attendance," he said.
He said the participants would conduct a sailing pass and an air show in front of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
in the Manado Bay area.
The participating countries by vessels and delegation include the US, Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, China,
New Zealand, Singapore, England, Thailand, France and South Korea.
Aji said the Indonesian fleet review would also include an air show by the
Indonesian Air Force and Navy aircraft, and a takeoff and landing show of US aircraft above the USS George Washington.
He said the Bunaken event, aimed at promoting the country's huge marine resources, would also present various festivities
such as a yacht rally, a city parade, water sports and an admiral dinner.
Aji said the event would also celebrate Indonesia's Independence Day with a special flag ceremony.
The event is financed by Rp 30 billion (US$2.97 million) from the state budget and is part of the World Ocean Conference
(WOC) and Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) summits.
he WOC and CTI were also the first international meetings on ocean affairs attended by participants from 80 countries.
The WOC issued a declaration calling for the world to protect ocean and coral reefs to help adapt to the climate
change. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic country with over 17,000 islands, is extremely vulnerable to
the severe impacts of climate change. |
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Sail Bunaken: Naval Firepower on Show In North Sulawesi Waters
Jakarta Globe, 18 August 2009
Manado. An international maritime event being held in North Sulawesi
was hailed as an overwhelming success by the Navy on Tuesday as dozens of foreign warships converged on the waters
of Bunaken.
An international fleet review featuring 25 foreign warships – including
the USS George Washington aircraft carrier – is scheduled to take place this afternoon as part of Sail Bunaken
2009.
The review is expected to feature 25 warships, one tall ship, and one coast guard vessel from abroad, in addition
to six warships and two tall ships from Indonesia.
A sail-past, complete with fighter jets and more than 100 private yachts, is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in
Manado Bay.
Widodo AS, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, is scheduled to take the salute
after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono canceled at the last minute.
First Adm. Iskandar Sitompul said Sail Bunaken was held on a larger scale than any other Asian maritime event.
“Thirty-three countries confirmed that their ships will take part in the review,” he said, adding that only 11
countries participated in a similar event held in South Korea last year.
Other warships to be shown include the USS McCampbell, a US missile destroyer; the INS Kuhkri, an Indian frigate;
and the JDS Kashima, a Japanese training vessel. Indonesia’s latest naval acquisitions will also be shown.
“We are going to deploy our four Sigma class corvettes to show the world that we also have first-rate warships,”
Iskandar said.
The nine-day event, designed to build cooperation between seafaring nations,
finishes on Thursday.
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Sail Bunaken 2009 Event Set To Raise Manado’s Global Profile
Jakarta Globe, 14 August 2009
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