S'pore to give RI trainer planes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (AP): Singapore will deliver 19 training aircraft to
\nthe Indonesian Air Force under the terms of a deal concluded
\nbetween the two countries, a military spokesman announced Friday.<\/p>\n
Singapore agreed to donate the SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 Warrior
\ntrainers which are being phased out of operation in the city-
\nstate, Indonesian Air Force Vice Marshall Imam Wahyudi said.<\/p>\n
He said it had not yet been decided when the Italian-made,
\npropeller-driven planes would be transferred.<\/p>\n
Officials from Singapore's Ministry of Defense on Friday
\ndeclined to comment.<\/p>\n
The SF.260 are likely to supplement 22 Beechcraft T-34C
\nTurbomentors which the Indonesian Air Force has been using as its
\nbasic trainer since the 1970s. Most of the U.S.-made planes are
\nreported to be unserviceable due to a lack of spare parts.<\/p>\n
Washington embargoed weapons sales to Jakarta after army-
\ninspired violence in 1999 in East Timor, a formerly Indonesian-
\nruled territory that voted for independence.<\/p>\n
Although the administration of President George W. Bush has
\nindicated that it would like to improve military ties with
\nIndonesia, the U.S. Congress has insisted on retaining the ban.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Air Force has traditionally relied heavily on
\nthe United States for its equipment needs. It has been hit
\nparticularly hard by the ban, which has grounded many of its
\ncombat and transport aircraft.<\/p>\n
Air force commanders have indicated they want to diversify
\ntheir suppliers in order to sidestep the U.S. embargo. Last week,
\nthey said they were considering buying a squadron of Russian-made
\nSukhoi Su-30 jet fighters.<\/p>\n
But the cash-strapped government is unlikely to be able to
\nafford significant arms purchases anytime soon.<\/p>\n
Approximately 1,000 SF.260 trainers are in service with 27 air
\nforces around the world. The high-performance aircraft also has a
\nsecondary light attack capability, with wing pods that can be
\nequipped to carry rockets or machine guns.<\/p>\n
Several airlines also use the civilian version of the type for
\npilot training.<\/p>",
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