Last two Hawk fighters arrive in Indonesia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The last two of 24 Hawk-100 and Hawk-200 jet
\nfighters which the government had ordered from Britain in 1993
\narrived yesterday in Pekanbaru, Riau.<\/p>\n
Air Force chief spokesman Col. Mirsyahban Ashfa told The
\nJakarta Post here yesterday that the two aircraft, piloted by
\nIndonesian Air Force pilots from Warton, Britain, had landed at
\nthe Pekanbaru air base where they would be stationed.<\/p>\n
Several high-ranking military officials were on hand to
\nwelcome the planes' arrival. Among them were Gen. Bambang
\nSumbodo, an assistant to the Armed Forces' chief of general
\naffairs, Rear Marshall I Gede Sudana, the deputy chief of Air
\nForce operations, and Col. R. Supriyanto, the chief of the base.<\/p>\n
The government bought the eight Hawk-100 trainers and 16 Hawk-
\n200 ground-attack fighters for about 500 million pounds (US$770
\nmillion) from British Aerospace Plc. in 1993.<\/p>\n
Mirsyahban said, \"The 24 trainers and fighters, grouped in
\nSquadron 12, will be all stationed at the Pekanbaru air base to
\nstrengthen our air defense in the western territories as well as
\nhandle any possible threats from the northern part of the
\ncountry.\"<\/p>\n
He said the Air Force was ordering 16 more Hawk-200s, worth
\naround $216 million, from Britain to be stationed at Supadio air
\nbase in West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
\"This second order is set to be met next year,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is strengthening its defense in the west because of
\nthe robust growth of development in the region, especially around
\nthe Riau islands bordering Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China,
\nthe Philippines and Thailand.<\/p>\n
Last October, the Armed Forces carried out large war games
\nthat involved all its jet bombers, 40 warships and almost 100,000
\npersonnel in Natuna waters to ensure the security of the gas-rich
\nisland. The gas is expected to be explored next year in
\ncooperation with U.S. and British mining companies.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has also purchased 12 F-16 Falcon fighters from the
\nU.S. and several F-5 Tigers, all of which are stationed in Madiun
\nand Halim Perdanakusumah air bases. Two of these F-16 bombers
\ncrashed in routine training in 1993 and early this month.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is planning to buy 12 more F-16s, which the U.S. put
\nup for sale in 1995. (rms)<\/p>",
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