11 Indonesian Air Force Aircraft Deployed to Help Extinguish Forest Fires

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) has deployed 11 transport aircraft to support operations to extinguish forest and land fires across Indonesia.

The deployment follows an order from President Prabowo Subianto, who called for Hercules aircraft to be sent to help tackle the fires.

Air Force Information Service chief Air Vice Marshal Feri Yunaldi said the 11 aircraft include Hercules C-130s, C-130J-30 Super Hercules, CASA 212s, CN-295s and the Air Force’s newest transport aircraft, the A-400M.

The aircraft are transporting supplies, including dry ice and sodium chloride (NaCl), for weather-modification operations in several regions.

“Five CASA 212s, two C-130H Hercules aircraft and one CN-295 have been deployed to support the dispersal of weather-modification materials. Meanwhile, two C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft are being used to distribute seeding materials from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base to Sjamsudin Noor Air Base in Banjarmasin and Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Base,” Feri said in Jakarta on Thursday (29 October), Antara reported.

The A-400M, he added, has been deployed to deliver a cold-storage container to the operational area.

Feri said the transport aircraft had been deployed over the past several days.

The effort has shown positive results, with rain beginning to fall in several fire-affected areas following weather-modification operations using Air Force transport aircraft.

Feri said the Air Force would keep transport aircraft on standby for national needs, including non-war military operations such as responding to forest and land fires.

He said the TNI AU’s contribution would help the government manage the fire disaster.