Jordan offers RI used fighter jets

Jordan offers RI used fighter jets

Tiarma Siboro
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Jordan wants to give Indonesia used military equipment for free,
including U.S.-made F-5E Tiger fighter jets and armored vehicles,
as part of defense cooperation arrangements between the two
countries.

Visiting Jordanian military chief Gen. Khalid Jamil Sarayreh
made the offer during his meeting here on Thursday with
Indonesia's Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono.

In response, Juwono said Indonesia would study the offer as
the government is reviewing plans for military procurements,
which would require adjustment following the lifting of the arms
embargo on the country by the United States.

"We appreciate the offer, but we will first study it to make
sure the equipment being offered by our Jordanian counterpart
does not cause complications in our defense plans," he told the
press after the meeting.

Juwono did not say how many military aircraft and vehicles
would be handed over to Indonesia, but said the government was
considering their age and maintenance costs before giving a
response to the Jordanian offer.

Normally, the grant of U.S.-made weapons must obtain the
approval of the producing country.

The F-5E Tiger was produced by the U.S. in the 1970s, while
Indonesia plans to modernize its armed forces with new military
equipment produced in the early 1980s.

The Indonesian Air Force currently has a squadron of F-16 A/B
fighters, which were first produced by the U.S. in the early
1980s. It also has four Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets first
produced in the late 1980s.

During the Thursday meeting with Juwono, General Sarayreh also
offered cooperation with Indonesia to combat terrorism, and
possible joint exercises between the two armies' special forces
were also discussed.