US AND INDONESIA LAUNCH NEXT-GENERATION TSUNAMI DETECTION

UNCLAS JAKARTA 001154 SIPDIS DEPT FOR IO, OES/EGC, OES/IET AND EAP/MTS DEPT ALSO PASS TO DEPT OF COMMERCE/NOAA/RSPINRAD/REPPI BANGKOK FOR USAID/RDMA E.O. 12598: N/A TAGS: EAID TPHY ECON PREL ID SUBJECT: US AND INDONESIA LAUNCH NEXT-GENERATION TSUNAMI DETECTION TECHNOLOGY ¶1. (U) Summary. On June 10, Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Chairman Said Jenie and Ambassador Hume presided over a ceremony in Jakarta to launch a next-generation U.S. DART tsunami detection buoy. The buoy was part of the Indonesia-U.S. bilateral agreement to transfer U.S. tsunami detection technology to Indonesia. Indonesian print and electronic media provided broad and positive coverage of the event. End Summary. Next-Generation Buoy Launched In Jakarta Ceremony -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) On June 10, Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Chairman Said Jenie and Ambassador Hume presided over a ceremony in Jakarta to launch a next-generation U.S. DART tsunami detection buoy (tsunameter). The easy-to-deploy (ETD) tsunameter, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) designed to reduce costs and minimize vandalism, is the newest U.S. tsunami detection system. It will be the first next-generation buoy deployed in Indian Ocean waters. Indonesian and NOAA scientists and engineers will also collaborate on a research and development program to validate the DART buoy system for the Indian Ocean region. The tsunameter system is part of the broader Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System and the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System. It is the second U.S. tsunameter system deployed in cooperation with the Government of Indonesia (GOI). ¶3. (U) The Indonesia-U.S. partnership operates under a bilateral agreement to transfer U.S. tsunameter technology to Indonesia. Under the agreement, NOAA engineers have trained Indonesian scientists and engineers in DART technology. U.S. scientists will also participate in a program of site visits and training over the next two years to help develop Indonesia's capacity in tsunami detection and ocean engineering. The GOI will also purchase an additional DART II ETD for deployment later this year as part of the bilateral agreement on tsunami preparedness. Broad, Positive Press Coverage -------------- ¶4. (U) The buoy launch ceremony was widely covered in ten Indonesian newspapers and on three television news programs. The press reports highlighted the benefits of US-Indonesia cooperation on tsunami detection and the importance of tsunameters in providing early detection of tsunami hazards. Three of the ten newspapers published feature length stories of the buoys. Television programs also aired footage of the buoys. HUME