Andi Widjajanto's Advice on Pilatus Jet Purchase
Former Governor of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas), Andi Widjajanto, has suggested that the Ministry of Defence restructure payments related to the plan to purchase 12 Pilatus PC-24 jets by the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) amid budget cut policies.
According to Andi, Indonesia’s need for modernising main weapon system equipment (Alutsista) is already 10-12 years behind schedule. “If the payments are burdensome, talk to financial institutions and the vendor. How to delay it, but don’t cancel it,” he said in Central Jakarta on Monday, 6 April 2026.
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract to purchase the 12 Swiss-origin jets with PT E-System Solutions Indonesia as the contractor on Monday, 31 March 2026.
Based on Tempo’s investigation, the estimated price of the Pilatus PC-24 jet is US$11.2 million to US$13 million, or equivalent to Rp178-200 billion per unit. The price depends on the jet’s components.
According to him, cancelling the purchase would make the modernisation preparation targets uncertain. Therefore, this senior advisor at LAB 45 called for payment restructuring.
This PDIP politician does not know whether the Pilatus purchase is a new expenditure or already planned. The problem is the lack of transparency in the Alutsista procurement.
Nevertheless, he said the government has locked in a reserve budget of Rp150.55 trillion for defence functions in the 2026 State Revenue and Expenditure Budget Draft (RAPBN).
He said that in the past, it was easier to know budget spending plans through the government’s new RAPBN and the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). From the RPJMN, it then became a strategic plan document (Renstra) for the Ministry of Defence. “From Bappenas, it becomes the blue book and green book,” he said.
In the past, he said, there was a desire for most defence contracts to use a government-to-government mechanism. However, he sees that currently, it is returning to a business-to-business (B2B) mechanism. In B2B, there are Indonesian sales representatives and the main company.
It should, he said, be through PT Danantara for defence equipment purchases. Danantara then directs to PT National Defence Industry.
Nevertheless, he said budget reports can be obtained from the main company. Because countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) must open sales and purchase documents.
“If there is no incoming revenue yet, it means this is not a short-term contract payment. It could be made long-term. Then the payment is only in what year. In the end, it can’t be covered,” he said.
When asked for confirmation regarding the purpose of procuring the PC-24 aircraft, the Head of Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, declined to comment. He only answered that currently his side is mourning after the incident of TNI soldiers who fell in the peacekeeping mission in Lebanon.
On the official Pilatus Aircraft website, the Ministry of Defence stated that the jet type was chosen to support transport pilot training, air transport missions, and liaison in the TNI AU environment.
The Pilatus PC-24 jet aircraft can be operated by one pilot. The aircraft is equipped with a cargo door and has the capability to take off and land on short or unpaved runways.
Tempo also attempted to contact the TNI AU side through the Head of TNI AU Information Service, First Marshal TNI I Nyoman Suadnyana. However, until this news was written, he had not given a response.
Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher said the aircraft procurement cooperation for the Pilatus PC-24 jet marks the beginning of a long-term relationship with Indonesia. “Our priority is to support Indonesia in operating the fleet smoothly,” he said, quoted from the official Pilatus Aircraft website on Sunday, 5 April 2026.
Meanwhile, Pilatus Vice President Government Aviation Ioannis Papachristofilou said the selection of the Pilatus PC-24 aircraft reflects the growing interest of Indonesian government operators in the aircraft for various missions.
The government has also signed a letter of intent (LOI) for the procurement of 24 Pilatus PC-21 trainer aircraft. The package includes ground-based training devices, spare parts, support equipment, and technical support.