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)