Air Force celebrates memorial service day

Air Force celebrates memorial service day

By Sonaji Wibowo

JAKARTA (JP): In the wee hours of the morning exactly 50 years
ago, three airplanes stood in a remote corner of Maguwo Airport
(now Adi Sucipto) in Yogyakarta. One was a Guntei piloted by
Muljono and two were Chureng flown by Sutardjo Sigit and
Suharnoko Harbani.

The cadets were preparing for an important mission. Their
target was the Dutch occupied zone, and soon Semarang, Salatiga
and Ambarawa, all in Central Java, were under attack. The Dutch
were surprised by the action, having believed the Indonesian air
force was paralyzed. But it showed its force by wreaking havoc in
strategic Dutch locations.

That same afternoon, a Dakota VT-CLA cargo airplane left
Singapore Airport. Owned by India, it was hired by the Indonesian
government for the humanitarian task of transporting medicines
donated by the Malaysian Red Cross.

When the Dakota was about to land in Yogyakarta, two Dutch
Kitty Hawk planes emerged suddenly and swooped down in attack.
Tragically, the unarmed Dakota was an easy target and crashed at
Ngoto village south of Yogyakarta. Three pioneers of the
Indonesian Air Force, Air Force Vice Commodore Abdurrahman Saleh,
Vice Commodore Adi Sucipto and Deputy Officer Adi Sumarmo, were
killed.

Those two heroic events are commemorated annually as memorial
service day by the Air Force of the Republic of Indonesia.

They were essentially not coincidences, but part of the chain
of happenings in the struggle for realization of the ideals of
the August 17, 1945 independence proclamation. From the start,
the national fighters, including Air Force pioneers, were
conscious of the heavy task of carrying out the nation's ideals.
It was a matter of utmost gravity, requiring the sacrifice of
wealth, and even lives.

The events reflect the importance of the Air Force in
supporting the nation's struggle. If Indonesia had possessed a
powerful air force 50 years ago, the Dakota tragedy would not
have happened. Psychologically, the event boosted the fighting
spirit of the nation, and politically it opened the eyes of the
world to the fact the Indonesian Armed Forces could not be looked
down upon. The nation's fighters did not want a recurrence of the
Dakota slaughter.

Development of the Air Force is one of the priorities of the
government at present, especially in the frame of warding off
threats, disturbances, obstacles and challenges from both inside
and outside the country.

Geographically, the most likely threat to Indonesian territory
would come from the sea and air. Armed Forces capable of covering
Indonesia's entire territory swiftly and effectively, in defense
of strategic areas, are essential. The Air Force, with its
cruising and maneuvering capabilities supported by a rapid
communications system, is one of the responses to this need.

The Air Force currently has several fighter planes, such as
the OV-10 Bronco, the A-4 Sky Hawk, the F-5 Tiger II, the F-16
Fighting Falcon and the Hawk 100/200.

In keeping with rapid aircraft technology development,
especially of fighter planes, Indonesia has continuously
endeavored to develop the strength of its Air Force through
training of its personnel.

The Air Force has sent its officers for training in Europe and
Australia. The choice of European countries is due to planned
development, which in the near future is expected to be
influenced by European aircraft technology. Britain is the
supplier of Hawk 100/200, France the Mirage-2000 and Russia the
Sukhoi-27 and MiG-29, while Australia is the place for Indonesia
to send its officers for military education and training
programs.

The writer is an officer of the Air Force Information Service,
Jakarta