House may ground govt's Sukhoi plan<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives may shelve the Ministry of Defense's
\nrequest to allocate some Rp 8 trillion (US$893 million) to buy 16
\nRussian-made fighter jets and helicopters.<\/p>\n
House members said on Wednesday they would delay the proposal
\nfor the planned purchase of the Shukoi aircraft from Russia, in
\nview of the earthquake and tsunami in Aceh and North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Defense has reportedly filed a letter with
\nHouse Commission I for defense and foreign affairs, requesting Rp
\n8 trillion from the 2005 state budget to procure the Shukoi jets.<\/p>\n
The request came three days after the quake-triggered tsunami
\ninundated Aceh and North Sumatra on Dec. 29, claiming almost
\n100,000 lives.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, there is a proposal to purchase one squadron of Sukhoi
\naircraft. But, we will put the proposal on hold for the 2006
\nstate budget,\" said Djoko Susilo, a member of the House budget
\ncommittee and a deputy chairman of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN) faction in the legislature.<\/p>\n
The letter from the Ministry of Defense was dated Dec. 29,
\n2004, Djoko said.<\/p>\n
He said the Sukhoi jets cost US$43 million each, but added
\nthat the cash-strapped country had no money to meet the request
\nof the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n
However, Commission I chairman Theo L. Sambuaga said he had
\nnot received such a proposal from the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n
\"It is true that the defense ministry has discussed the
\npossibility of purchasing more warplanes. But, I have not
\nreceived any proposal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Theo stressed, however, that there must be intensive
\ndiscussions before approving the plan to procure fighter jets
\nfrom any country amid the current financial problems.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Military (TNI) was under fire for the purchase
\nof four Sukhoi planes from Russia last year, as it did not
\ninvolve the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n
Instead, the purchase, which was made through a counter-trade
\ndeal, involved the then minister of industry and trade, Rini MS
\nSoewandi.<\/p>\n
Theo said the four Sukhoi fighters bought last year were not
\nequipped with weapons. \"What we have to discuss now is whether we
\nneed to buy weapons for the four Sukhoi, or to purchase more
\nRussian aircraft,\" he added.<\/p>\n
During hearings with Commission I, military officials have
\noften complained about the poor condition of the country's
\ndefense equipment.<\/p>\n
This puts the archipelagic country at risk of possible foreign
\nintrusions and attacks.<\/p>\n
Currently, the total personnel in the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI) stand at 347,272, including 268,661 Army personnel, 53,913
\nNavy personnel, and 24,698 Air Force personnel.<\/p>\n
The Air Force has only seven combat squadrons, five carrier
\nsquadrons, one interceptor squadron, three helicopter squadrons,
\nand two training squadrons.<\/p>\n
The Air Force says it needs more than 2,000 more aircraft to
\nguard the country's vast territory.<\/p>",
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