Edi dismisses doubts on Sukhoi jet fighter
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat refuted yesterday doubts cast on the quality of the Russian-made Sukhoi SU-30K jet fighter that Indonesia has decided to purchase.
"Every technology has its strengths and weaknesses. So if there are doubts about the Sukhoi, that's merely people's own individual opinion," Edi said after the handover of 20 Australian-made Nomad planes to the Navy at the Juanda Navy Air Base in Surabaya, East Java.
Indonesia announced on Tuesday that it decided to buy a dozen SU-30K jet fighters.
The choice ends much speculation on which fighter Indonesia would choose after canceling plans to buy U.S.-made F-16s.
Some, however, have questioned the quality of the Sukhoi, while others have said the purchase is financially burdensome, especially since Indonesia has not purchased a Russian-made plane in three decades.
As reported by Antara, Edi said yesterday that promos plugging the Sukhoi as a plane for tourists in Russia were simply advertisements meant to provide a better understanding of the fighter.
"It's not true that the plane is used by tourists in Russia," Edi said.
Nomad
Yesterday, 20 Australian-made Nomad planes joined the Indonesian Navy fleet in a naval ceremony.
Addressing the ceremony, Edi said the additional Nomad planes are expected to increase the Navy's sea operations in maintaining security and stability along Indonesia's coastlines.
"Trade liberalization in the upcoming 21st century will unavoidably increase sea traffic. We have no other choice but to improve our sea operations," Edi said.
"We also have several giant projects operating close to international seaways and the conflict-prone South China Sea, which needs extra protection and care," he said.
Edi lauded the Nomad's performance, which he said had successfully acted as a "force-multiplier" for warships during sea operations and also as a reliable intelligence data collector.
Also attending the ceremony were Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung, Navy Chief of Staff Adm. Arief Kushariadi, Australian Defense Attache Brig. Gen. E. Chamberlain, Australian Navy Attache Capt. David Ramsay and Chief of the East Java Regional Military Command Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman.
Indonesia bought 14 N-22s and six N-24s for maritime surveillance and sea patrol. The Navy has operated 18 Nomads since 1975, 16 are still in operation.
Powered by a twin Allison 250-B 17 B turboprop engine, a Nomad can reach a maximum speed of 311 kilometers per hour and can fly 1,352 kilometers without refueling.
The N-22 can seat 12 people, while the N-24 has 15 seats.
The 20 Nomads, produced at the Australian Government Aircraft Factory, arrived in Indonesia in three different batches. The first batch of seven planes arrived on Jan. 30, the second batch of seven planes arrived on May 6, while the remaining six planes arrived in the middle of June.
Indonesia has also received 16 containers of Nomad spare parts over the past couple of months.
Developed in Australia in the 1970s, the twin-engine turboprop Nomad was used by the Australian military as a heavy transport and support aircraft, but was retired from the Australian Defense Force in 1995. (imn/aan)