Air Force cargo planes back in the air: Hanafie
JAKARTA (JP): Several Air Force cargo planes will be back in the air after the United States eased a military assistance suspension on Indonesia last September, Air Force chief of staff Air Marshal Hanafie Asnan said on Tuesday.
"We are glad that some of our cargo planes will be flying after they have been parked for several months due to the U.S. suspension of its military aids, including spare parts, in September 1999," Hanafie said during a gathering to break the fast.
He would not reveal the number of planes which had to be grounded following the suspension of aircraft spare-part transfers or sales.
The suspension was lifted on Sept. 24, 2000, based on the U.S. State Department's consideration of the planes' important role in supplying logistics to remote areas in the country.
Hanafie said the U.S. government should further consider lifting the entire suspension as the Indonesian government had shown its political commitment in trying alleged perpetrators of human rights abuse in East Timor.
"We hope the whole suspension will be lifted as soon as possible in an effort to enhance the two countries' bilateral ties," he said, adding that the suspension had not affected the good ties between the two countries' defense forces.
Following the suspension, an American-made F-5 Tiger jet fighter undergoing regular service was not allowed to leave the United States and three jet engines remained in South Korea and New Zealand.
Asked about the Singaporean government's plan to donate 17 Mercetti training aircraft to Indonesia, Hanafie said Singapore was awaiting approval for the military aid from parliament.
"Despite the uneasy relations between the two countries, so far, the Singaporean government has no plan to cancel the handover of the planes," he said.
The Singaporean military has agreed with its government to grant the planes to Indonesia. Besides having to spend a large amount of money on maintenance costs, its pilots have undergone training programs overseas. (rms)