Indonesian Air Force deploys three transport aircraft for weather modification in Kalimantan

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) has deployed three transport aircraft to carry out weather modification operations (OMC) in the Kalimantan region.

According to an official TNI AU press release received in Jakarta on Friday, the OMC is being conducted to extinguish forest and land fires (karhutla) that are still affecting several areas in Kalimantan.

“The TNI AU has deployed three Casa NC-212 aircraft from Air Squadron 4, which departed from Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base in Malang this Friday afternoon,” said Head of the TNI AU Information Service (Kadispenau) Air Vice Marshal I Nyoman Suadnyana when confirmed.

According to Nyoman, the presence of the three TNI AU aircraft is solely to support the aerial fleet previously deployed by the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) to the fire locations.

For context, the BPBD has already deployed 20 air transport assets, consisting of five helicopters, three aircraft for weather modification, and 12 large helicopters for water bombing operations.

With the arrival of the TNI AU transport aircraft, Nyoman expressed hope that the BPBD would be further assisted in extinguishing the fires in Kalimantan.

“The TNI AU’s support is expected to be increasingly optimal, particularly in the implementation of OMC to help reduce the impact of haze in the Kalimantan region,” said Nyoman.