Russia cozies up to RI defense industry
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Russia has said it is willing to provide Indonesia all the assistance it wants in developing its weaponry systems and defense industry.
"If Indonesia can absorb the technology -- which I think is possible -- then developing a cooperation between Russia and Indonesian state aircraft maker PT DI can become a reality," Anatoly Yo Voronkov, chief expert at Sukhoi's Aviation Holding Company, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
He was referring to PT Dirgantara Indonesia.
Russia, according to Vorokov, would provide incentives for Indonesia to purchase aircraft from it, including generous conditions in the contracts.
"It's okay for us to adopt a countertrade mechanism," said Vorokov, adding that rubber, tin and palm oil were among the Indonesian commodities in high demand in Russia.
Indonesia was forced to seek alternative arms suppliers following a weapons embargo imposed by the United States after the Santa Cruz massacre in East Timor in 1992.
The U.S. maintained the embargo following 1999 atrocities after East Timor voted to break away from Indonesia in a United Nations-sponsored referendum.
Indonesia has purchased four Sukhoi jet fighters from Russia and is planning to purchase more next year.
Under founding president Sukarno, the newly independent Indonesia developed a close relationship with Russia and procured some military equipment from that country, including 14 submarines, missile carriers and torpedo boats.
Due to ideological differences, those close ties chilled when Soeharto took over power in 1966.
Promising that politics would not affect business ties between Indonesia and Russia, Voronkov said Indonesia's military was a potential partner in future trades.
"Let's leave political matters to our governments, while we deal with defense technology," he said.
At the ongoing Indo Defense 2004 Expo and Forum, Russia has the biggest pavilion, accommodating 24 companies, including producers of Kalashnikov rifles and Sukhoi jets.
The Indo Defense 2004 Expo and Forum is the biggest military expo ever held in Indonesia. It runs from Nov. 24 to Nov. 27 and features 250 companies from 24 countries.
Roman Nikolaev from Izhmash, which produces the Kalashnikov, said Russia's politics had never affected business matters.
The company produces AK rifles, the latest version being the AK-102 to AK-104 series. Many of these weapons have been offered to Indonesian security forces, in addition to the popular Bizon 2-01 submachine gun.
A submachine gun is an automatic rifle that can fire 53 bullets with one pull of the trigger.
Indonesia has developed the Army's munitions manufacturer, PT Pindad, which produces the SS-1 rifle in cooperation with neighboring Malaysia.