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)