Air Force chief recommends Sukhoi-30 planes
Air Force chief recommends Sukhoi-30 planes
JAKARTA (JP): Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Sutria Tubagus
said yesterday that he had recommended the government choose
Russian built Sukhoi-30 over other fighter planes, Antara
reported.
Sutria told reporters in Yogyakarta that the Air Force's study
to buy new fighters had focused on Sukhoi-27, Sukhoi-30 and MiG-
29, all built by Russia, and the French-built Mirage 2000.
"We lean towards Sukhoi-30 because it is the most economical
and efficient, and one that has the longest range among the
planes we studied," he was quoted as saying.
"That's our recommendation to the government," he added.
Besides its combat radius, the Air Force also recommended
Sukhoi-30 because of its modern performance. Sukhoi-30 was also
simple and easy to maintain, he said.
"We're not too concerned about spare parts. Russia needs
foreign currencies and they're not likely to make it difficult
for us to obtain spare parts for the Sukhoi-30s," he said.
When asked how many new fighters Indonesia requires, Sutria
said the Air Force needed "lots of them" to cover the huge
territory spanning the Indonesian archipelago.
"But how many we will buy very much depends on the condition
of the state finances and the scale of priority.
"Bear in mind that besides fighters, we also need to buy other
equipment that are no less vital to military hardware," he said.
Indonesia seriously began to consider Soviet-built planes
after it canceled its plan to buy nine F-16 fighters from the
United States in May.
Sutria traveled to the Paris Air Show last month to look at
some of the fighters on display, including the Mirage and the new
range of Sukhoi planes.
Several Indonesian officials, including State Minister of
Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, have also traveled to
Russia in the past month to look at the planes and discuss terms.
They have all declared that from the technological point of
view, Indonesia should have no problem using Russian planes.
Ginandjar Kartasasmita, the State Minister of National
Development Planning/Chairman of the National Development
Planning Board said that one of the issues still to be resolved
was financing the purchase, and a counter-purchase arrangement
was now being studied.
Sutria said yesterday he hoped a decision would be made before
the end of the year.
"Now we've just completed the survey. The government asked for
our input, and we've made our presentation. I think the purchase
(order) for the new planes could be made by the end of the year
at the latest," he said.
Indonesia is taking delivery of 24 British-made Hawk fighters.
The Air Force's current fleet of planes include nine F-16s and
several aging F-5s.
President Soeharto wrote to U.S. President Bill Clinton in May
notifying his decision to cancel the plan to buy the F-16s in the
hope that it would remove irritants to bilateral relations.
The sales had been held back by Congress because of its
criticism of Indonesia's human rights record.
Sutria was in Yogyakarta yesterday to lead the annual memorial
ceremony to remember the Air Force's founding fathers who died 50
years ago during the independence struggle against the Dutch.
On the occasion, the chief of staff also inducted 28 senior
Air Force officers who just received rank promotions.
They include the president of PT Mandala Airline Rear Marshal
Subagiyo, the director for personnel and general affairs of PT
Garuda Indonesia Rear Marshal Eko Suwaryo and the head of the
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency at the Ministry of
Transportation Rear Marshal Sri Diharto. (emb)