Armed Forces takes delivery of new arms
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Armed Forces (ABRI) has began taking delivery of some of the weapons it ordered as part of the military's modernization drive.
ABRI Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono said that 26 of the 52 retrofitted Scorpion tanks ordered from Britain and 300 Mercedes army trucks from Germany are among the newest arrivals.
The other 26 Scorpion tanks will arrive in January, Soeyono told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
Some of the Scorpion tanks were displayed at the just concluded 1995 Military Exhibition held at the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran district. The new tanks are retrofitted with sophisticated radar, a 1.05mm canon and newly-designed lamps.
Soeyono said that Indonesia has also ordered modern gun and air radar equipment from France, Britain and Germany. The equipment will arrive early in 1996.
"The new guns are for the Army, while the radar will be used by the Air Force," he said.
Another plan still under negotiation is for the purchase of nine F-16 fighter jets from the United States, Soeyono said.
Indonesia has expressed interest in taking some of the 28 F- 16s that were originally intended for Pakistan.
"The planes are new. But we cannot buy them all, because ABRI has no funds to do so," he said.
Soeyono said Indonesia is still waiting for the delivery of the last four of 39 retrofitted warships it ordered from the arsenals of former East Germany. These should be arriving within the next eight months, he added.
The general declined to disclose the total amount of money the Armed Forces has to pay for its new weapons. He said only that the equipment is not being paid for out of ABRI's budget, which just barely covers recurrent spending and maintenance of its equipment.
In another military development, 16 senior officers were promoted in rank yesterday in anticipation of ABRI's coming 50th anniversary.
The 16 reported for duty to ABRI Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung at his office yesterday morning.
The most senior of them was Sofyan Effendi, who was recently appointed as the new governor of the National Resilience Institute. He was promoted to lieutenant general.
Sofyan has also been appointed as commander of ABRI's 50th anniversary ceremony and military parade to be held at the Halim Perdanakusuma military base on Oct. 5. He will be the most senior officer to ever command such a ceremony. In the past, such a task was given to an officer holding the rank of colonel.
Among the officers to be promoted to the rank of major general include chief of the Trikora Military Command, Dunidja, chief of the Army Infantry Arms Center, Rachmat Mokoginta, and assistant for personnel to the ABRI chief of general affairs, A. Djalal Bahtiar. (rms)