Last two Hawk fighters arrive in Indonesia

JAKARTA (JP): The last two of 24 Hawk-100 and Hawk-200 jet fighters which the government had ordered from Britain in 1993 arrived yesterday in Pekanbaru, Riau.

Air Force chief spokesman Col. Mirsyahban Ashfa told The Jakarta Post here yesterday that the two aircraft, piloted by Indonesian Air Force pilots from Warton, Britain, had landed at the Pekanbaru air base where they would be stationed.

Several high-ranking military officials were on hand to welcome the planes' arrival. Among them were Gen. Bambang Sumbodo, an assistant to the Armed Forces' chief of general affairs, Rear Marshall I Gede Sudana, the deputy chief of Air Force operations, and Col. R. Supriyanto, the chief of the base.

The government bought the eight Hawk-100 trainers and 16 Hawk- 200 ground-attack fighters for about 500 million pounds (US$770 million) from British Aerospace Plc. in 1993.

Mirsyahban said, "The 24 trainers and fighters, grouped in Squadron 12, will be all stationed at the Pekanbaru air base to strengthen our air defense in the western territories as well as handle any possible threats from the northern part of the country."

He said the Air Force was ordering 16 more Hawk-200s, worth around $216 million, from Britain to be stationed at Supadio air base in West Kalimantan.

"This second order is set to be met next year," he said.

Indonesia is strengthening its defense in the west because of the robust growth of development in the region, especially around the Riau islands bordering Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, the Philippines and Thailand.

Last October, the Armed Forces carried out large war games that involved all its jet bombers, 40 warships and almost 100,000 personnel in Natuna waters to ensure the security of the gas-rich island. The gas is expected to be explored next year in cooperation with U.S. and British mining companies.

Indonesia has also purchased 12 F-16 Falcon fighters from the U.S. and several F-5 Tigers, all of which are stationed in Madiun and Halim Perdanakusumah air bases. Two of these F-16 bombers crashed in routine training in 1993 and early this month.

Indonesia is planning to buy 12 more F-16s, which the U.S. put up for sale in 1995. (rms)