Defense expo pays off for embargoed Indonesia<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A three-day exhibit, Indo Defense Expo 2004, showcasing defense
\nequipment, concluded on Saturday, providing Indonesia with
\nopportunities to replenish its defense equipment and technology
\ndespite the embargo imposed by the United States and its allies.<\/p>\n
"It's good that we may be able to find better partners in
\ndeveloping our defense system. Although no deals have been
\nstruck, the exhibition's objective of linking participants and
\nprospective buyers here has been achieved," said Ministry of
\nDefense's Director of Procurement Aqlani Maza said.<\/p>\n
All deals will be made in January when Indonesia invites
\npotential arms suppliers to a roundtable discussion for talks on
\nthe country's future defense system.<\/p>\n
The discussion will take place on the resort island of Bali
\nand will be attended by military top brass, state officials and
\nexperts who will exchange arguments and views on the country's
\ndefense system. Also invited to the event are foreign arms
\nsuppliers from Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, the
\nNetherlands and South Korea.<\/p>\n
The ministry's Director General of Defense Strategy Sudrajat
\nhas said that Indonesia would definitely turn to Eastern European
\ncountries as arms shopping destinations after the long-standing
\nmilitary embargo imposed by Washington.<\/p>\n
Some Eastern European countries have proposed various deals,
\nincluding the Czech Republic, which has offered a joint venture
\nto produce armored personnel carriers. The budget, however,
\nremains a major constraint, said Sudrajat.<\/p>\n
For the 2005 fiscal year, the government has allocated Rp 21
\ntrillion (US$2.3 billion) for defense expenditure. It accounts
\nfor only 6 percent of the state budget.<\/p>\n
The military has repeatedly blamed the state budget
\nrestriction for its involvement in businesses to raise the money
\nit needs to cover its operational costs and improve the welfare
\nof personnel.<\/p>\n
During the exhibition, the Army expressed interest in buying
\nfour artillery cannons from Poland to replace similar weapons
\nwhich have not been operational since 2003. They will be placed
\nin several regions, including Lhokseumawe in Aceh and Bontang in
\nEast Kalimantan, where security problem have threatened oil and
\nother natural resources exploitation there.<\/p>\n
The National Police will buy Barracuda armored vehicles
\nproduced by South Korea's Daewoo, while the Navy is considering
\nthe purchase of rubber boats from the Netherlands.<\/p>\n
For the next fiscal year, the Air Force has also proposed the
\npurchase of eight of Russia's Sukhoi jet fighters, to complete
\nthe purchase of a squadron of new warplanes which was initiated
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Indonesia bought four Sukhois and two MI-35 assault
\nhelicopters from Russia in 2003. Further cooperation between the
\ntwo countries may materialize.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been seeking alternative arms suppliers after
\nthe U.S. imposed a weapons embargo following the atrocities that
\ntook place in East Timor in 1992. The embargo was reinforced in
\n1999 following the violence that occurred in the former
\nIndonesian province after people there voted for independence.<\/p>\n
"Of course, we have to adjust the budget to cover the arms
\npurchase. But at least, the opportunities are close enough for us
\nto end our dependence on a sole country (as a supplier)," Aqlani
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
No less than 240 companies producing defense technology and
\nmilitary hardware participated in the exhibition.<\/p>",
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