Former Governor of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas),\nAndi Widjajanto, has suggested that the Ministry of Defence restructure\npayments related to the plan to purchase 12 Pilatus PC-24 jets by the\nIndonesian Air Force (TNI AU) amid budget cut policies.<\/p>\n
According to Andi, Indonesia\u2019s need for modernising main weapon\nsystem equipment (Alutsista) is already 10-12 years behind schedule. \u201cIf\nthe payments are burdensome, talk to financial institutions and the\nvendor. How to delay it, but don\u2019t cancel it,\u201d he said in Central\nJakarta on Monday, 6 April 2026.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract to purchase the 12\nSwiss-origin jets with PT E-System Solutions Indonesia as the contractor\non Monday, 31 March 2026.<\/p>\n
Based on Tempo\u2019s investigation, the estimated price of the Pilatus\nPC-24 jet is US$11.2 million to US$13 million, or equivalent to\nRp178-200 billion per unit. The price depends on the jet\u2019s\ncomponents.<\/p>\n
According to him, cancelling the purchase would make the\nmodernisation preparation targets uncertain. Therefore, this senior\nadvisor at LAB 45 called for payment restructuring.<\/p>\n
This PDIP politician does not know whether the Pilatus purchase is a\nnew expenditure or already planned. The problem is the lack of\ntransparency in the Alutsista procurement.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he said the government has locked in a reserve budget\nof Rp150.55 trillion for defence functions in the 2026 State Revenue and\nExpenditure Budget Draft (RAPBN).<\/p>\n
He said that in the past, it was easier to know budget spending plans\nthrough the government\u2019s new RAPBN and the National Medium-Term\nDevelopment Plan (RPJMN). From the RPJMN, it then became a strategic\nplan document (Renstra) for the Ministry of Defence. \u201cFrom Bappenas, it\nbecomes the blue book and green book,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In the past, he said, there was a desire for most defence contracts\nto use a government-to-government mechanism. However, he sees that\ncurrently, it is returning to a business-to-business (B2B) mechanism. In\nB2B, there are Indonesian sales representatives and the main\ncompany.<\/p>\n
It should, he said, be through PT Danantara for defence equipment\npurchases. Danantara then directs to PT National Defence Industry.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he said budget reports can be obtained from the main\ncompany. Because countries that are members of the Organisation for\nEconomic Co-operation and Development (OECD) must open sales and\npurchase documents.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there is no incoming revenue yet, it means this is not a\nshort-term contract payment. It could be made long-term. Then the\npayment is only in what year. In the end, it can\u2019t be covered,\u201d he\nsaid.<\/p>\n
When asked for confirmation regarding the purpose of procuring the\nPC-24 aircraft, the Head of Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry\nof Defence, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, declined to\ncomment. He only answered that currently his side is mourning after the\nincident of TNI soldiers who fell in the peacekeeping mission in\nLebanon.<\/p>\n
On the official Pilatus Aircraft website, the Ministry of Defence\nstated that the jet type was chosen to support transport pilot training,\nair transport missions, and liaison in the TNI AU environment.<\/p>\n
The Pilatus PC-24 jet aircraft can be operated by one pilot. The\naircraft is equipped with a cargo door and has the capability to take\noff and land on short or unpaved runways.<\/p>\n
Tempo also attempted to contact the TNI AU side through the Head of\nTNI AU Information Service, First Marshal TNI I Nyoman Suadnyana.\nHowever, until this news was written, he had not given a response.<\/p>\n
Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher said the aircraft procurement cooperation\nfor the Pilatus PC-24 jet marks the beginning of a long-term\nrelationship with Indonesia. \u201cOur priority is to support Indonesia in\noperating the fleet smoothly,\u201d he said, quoted from the official Pilatus\nAircraft website on Sunday, 5 April 2026.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Pilatus Vice President Government Aviation Ioannis\nPapachristofilou said the selection of the Pilatus PC-24 aircraft\nreflects the growing interest of Indonesian government operators in the\naircraft for various missions.<\/p>\n
The government has also signed a letter of intent (LOI) for the\nprocurement of 24 Pilatus PC-21 trainer aircraft. The package includes\nground-based training devices, spare parts, support equipment, and\ntechnical support.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/andi-widjajantos-advice-on-pilatus-jet-purchase-1775634676", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }