Shopping for hardware<\/p>\n
News that Indonesia is seriously considering buying military
\nhardware, in particular jet fighters, from Russia has been a
\nsubject of considerable discussion in the past few days. This is
\npartly due to the fact that just a few weeks ago Indonesia
\ncanceled a deal to buy nine F-16 aircraft from the United States.
\nThe decision followed on the heels of allegations made in the
\nU.S. Senate of human rights abuses in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It may also be partly due to the fact that since the mid 1960s
\n-- during the final months of the left-leaning Old Order regime
\n-- that this country did its shopping for military hardware in
\nRussia. In this way, Indonesia's present turning toward Russia
\nfor its military needs could seem as though history were, more or
\nless, repeating itself.<\/p>\n
But when one considers the country's long-term strategic
\ninterests, it is not difficult to understand that Indonesia's
\ndecision is a perfectly sound and rational one; no self-
\nrespecting country would -- if conditions permit -- allow itself
\nto become dependent on only one supplier.<\/p>\n
It is perhaps because of such considerations that many
\ncountries prefer to acquire their military equipment from
\ndifferent sources. For instance, the Malaysian air force, besides
\nhaving several Hawk fighters, has 16 Russian-made MiG-29 and two
\nMiG-9U aircraft. A similar policy of military diversification is
\npursued by other countries.<\/p>\n
Obtaining military hardware from one source can, of course,
\nhave its advantages. It may, for example, be advantageous for
\nIndonesia to maintain American F-16 aircraft rather than Russian
\nMiGs or French-built Mirage fighters. The reason is that
\nMalaysia, Singapore and Thailand also have this aircraft.
\nServicing could therefore be pooled, reducing maintenance costs.<\/p>\n
In the present case, the main disadvantage of buying Russian
\nMiGs is that pilots and technicians would probably need
\nretraining to fly and maintain the new aircraft. Also, new
\ntraining facilities might have to be set up. Our military leaders
\nand technocrats would then have to weigh the advantages and
\ndisadvantages of hardware diversification, and decide which
\nequipment to purchase.<\/p>\n
Obviously, it was for the purpose of exploring possibilities
\nthat a team of senior officials from various government agencies
\nvisited Moscow last month. As the State Minister of National
\nDevelopment Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita told reporters in
\nJakarta last week, Indonesia wanted to buy weapons from Russia as
\npart of its effort to further diversify its sources and maintain
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
The Russian-made air defense equipment Jakarta is reportedly
\nconsidering includes radars, guided missiles and jet fighters. As
\nreported, the team concluded that the Russian equipment was
\nsuitable for Indonesia, though further assessments are yet to be
\nmade by Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and State Minister
\nof Research and Technology B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
Considering all this, there is no reason to doubt that
\nwhatever equipment the government decides to buy, and from
\nwhatever source, the choice will be to the country's best
\nadvantage -- militarily, politically as well as economically.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/shopping-for-hardware-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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