Air Force to improve weaponry
Air Force to improve weaponry
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Air Force is hoping to fortify its minimum
weaponry system with plans slated to procure more Sukhoi fighter
jets and set up more radar units, particularly in border areas in
the country's eastern parts.
Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Djoko Soeyanto said his
department was prioritizing the purchase of 12 more fully armed
Sukhoi fighter jets to reinforce the existing four.
"The purchase is going to be made through export credit split
between the 2005 and 2006 budgetary years. The first batch of six
jets will cost US$310 million, and the second around $356
million," he said on Thursday during a hearing with House of
Representatives Commission I for defense.
Djoko said he looked forward to seeing the House support the
Air Force by securing a higher budget for the force to establish
at least a standard weaponry system, as well as to improve the
welfare of its soldiers.
He said the Air Force was also evaluating possible aircraft to
be used pending the procurement of the Sukhoi fighter jets, such
as the OV-10 Bronco, Hawk MK-53, F-5 Tiger, and F-16 Fighting
Falcon.
Furthermore, Djoko said the Air Force was also putting at the
top of its list the establishment of radar units on three main
borders, in response to criticism that Indonesia has a poor early
warning system regarding air monitoring.
"We have prioritized putting radars in Biak and Tanjung
Pinang, to be operational in 2006; in Timika, to be operational
in 2007; and in Merauke by 2008," he said.
Aside from integrating all operational radar through the
Transmission Data Air Situation system, the Air Force also
expects to either replace or revamp old radar set up in Congot,
Yogyakarta; Ploso, Central Java; Ngliyep, East Java; and
Pemalang, Central Java, Djoko said.
The establishment of these new radar units mostly in the
eastern parts of the country, he said, was aimed at balancing the
weaponry system on both sides of the archipelago.
"We acknowledge the imbalance, but it's mostly because of the
very limited budget allocated for us. We hope to deploy more
(equipment) to the eastern part," Djoko said.
Djoko said the Air Force would need about Rp 21.9 trillion in
its 2006 budget to cover all expenses. The House, however, has
set an indicative budget of only Rp 2.5 trillion.
The Air Force's "minimal" weaponry system was also lamented by
Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono, while visiting Iswahyudi
air base in Madiun, East Java on Thursday.
Juwono, quoted by tempointeraktif.com, said the force's
weaponry only met 40 percent of the minimum requirement to create
a fully prepared air defense system.
One way to quickly solve the problem, he added, was to
overhaul several grounded or damaged aircraft, such as fighter
jets, to cover needs within the next six months to one year.
Most of these U.S.-assembled jets were grounded due to damage,
with spare parts hard to come since the U.S. slapped an arms
embargo on Indonesia in the early 1990s.