Indonesia considering U.S.'s F-16 offer
Indonesia considering U.S.'s F-16 offer
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia needs to study first a United States
offer of 20 F-16 fighter jets that had originally been intended
for Pakistan, the Armed Forces (ABRI) said yesterday.
ABRI chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Soewarno Adiwidjojo told
Antara news agency that Indonesia could not give an immediate
reply to Washington's offer because such a purchase would require
the development of additional Air Force facilities and personnel.
"We have to think about the military bases, the human
resources and the funds needed, which obviously won't be small
for this kind of combat plane," Soewarno said.
The offer was made by U.S. Secretary of State Warren
Christopher during a meeting with Indonesia's Minister of Foreign
Affairs Ali Alatas in Bandar Seri Begawan on Wednesday. The 20
planes were mothballed to an American hangar after Congress
blocked their planned sale to Pakistan.
Foreign press reports said Christopher had also approached the
Philippines with a similar offer.
A U.S. State Department spokesman quoted Christopher as saying
that the sale of the F-16s to either country would not upset the
military balance in the region.
Soewarno said Indonesia must also consider a host of other
factors before deciding whether or not to accept the offer; one
such factor would be the external threats Indonesia will face in
the next five to 10 years.
One question Indonesia has to answer is "whether the purchase
of the F-16s is in congruence with the perception of external
threats," he added.
Hawk
Indonesia is currently in the process of acquiring 20 British-
made Hawk jet fighters, with the first delivery expected next
April. The deal is estimated to be worth about 500 million pound
sterling (U.S. $790 million).
The government signed the Hawk deal after its plan to purchase
U.S.-built F-5 planes from Jordan in 1993 was blocked by
Washington. This move by Washington prompted Indonesia to further
diversify its sources of arms supplies away from the United
States.
The Indonesian Air Force already has a squadron of F-16 jets;
it purchased 12 from the United States in a 1980s package deal.
Meanwhile, Antara reported from the Brunei capital yesterday
that Alatas and Christopher on Wednesday also discussed the
prospect of the resumption of the U.S. military training facility
for Indonesian officers, a program that was terminated in 1992 by
Congress because of Indonesia's handling of East Timor.
Alatas told reporters that he casually asked Christopher about
the International Military Education and Training program for
Indonesia because it had been debated in the Congress for some
times.
Christopher, according to Antara, said that Washington has
agreed to its resumption, but the matter is now still being
debated in Congress. (emb)