VZCZCXRO7419
RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1154 1640954
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120954Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9273
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2099
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5135
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2642
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4672
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 8461
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0904
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

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