Indonesia’s Navy plans helicopter training for firefighting

“We are training naval helicopter pilots to carry water buckets so they can help fight forest and land fires alongside Air Force helicopters,” Ali told reporters aboard KRI Sriwijaya-100 in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Ali said the Navy needed to help fight the fires to improve efforts to extinguish hotspots in several locations.

The Navy also has several helicopters capable of conducting water-bombing operations or monitoring fire hotspots from the air, he said.

The Navy could also deploy KRI Sriwijaya-100, Indonesia’s first aircraft carrier, to support firefighting operations, Ali said.

He said the carrier could serve as a helicopter base closer to fire-affected areas.

“Helicopters could operate from KRI Sriwijaya-100 or from shore bases. We’ll see which option is more efficient and effective,” Ali said.

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Translator: Walda M, Rahmad Nasution