Air Force to receive six new Hawks from UK

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Air Force will receive six new Hawk jet fighters from the United Kingdom in June. They will be stationed at Supadio Air Base in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

"We expect the six British-made tactical attack aircraft will be sent soon. This was the second batch of 40 aircraft we ordered a couple years ago," the Indonesian Military (TNI) Spokesman Rear Marshall Graito Usodo told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The six Hawks were originally scheduled to arrive in September but were delayed following the crisis in East Timor.

The European Union placed an arms embargo on Indonesia restricting purchases to black box instruments such as radar.

The embargo was lifted in January.

Indonesia ordered 40 Hawk-100 aircraft and Hawk-200 aircraft worth around US$120 million in May 1996. Fourteen of the aircraft have been delivered since April 1999.

Earlier in 1993, the country bought 24 Hawk aircraft, the delivery of which was completed in May 1997.

All 14 Hawk-200's, purchased in the second sale, along with the pending six aircraft, are stationed with the Elang Khatulistiwa airfleet in West Kalimantan.

The 24 Hawks already delivered from the first purchase are stationed in Pekanbaru, Riau.

Western Air Force Operations Commander, Air Rear Marshall Suprihadi, said on Wednesday that the six new aircraft are expected to arrive in June.

Unlike previous deliveries which were directly flown to Indonesia, Antara reported that the Hawks would be shipped in containers and assembled upon arrival.

This type of aircraft is well-known for its swiftness and can be used both as training and fighting aircraft.

The Hawk 200 is a single-seat multi-role combat plane made by British Aerospace.

It is usually fitted with a Rolls-Royce Adour Mk 871 engine which can produce a maximum speed of 1,065 kilometers per hour.

It can carry up to 3,000 kilograms in rockets and bombs on seven under-wing external points. (dja)