Shopping for hardware

Shopping for hardware

News that Indonesia is seriously considering buying military
hardware, in particular jet fighters, from Russia has been a
subject of considerable discussion in the past few days. This is
partly due to the fact that just a few weeks ago Indonesia
canceled a deal to buy nine F-16 aircraft from the United States.
The decision followed on the heels of allegations made in the
U.S. Senate of human rights abuses in Indonesia.

It may also be partly due to the fact that since the mid 1960s
-- during the final months of the left-leaning Old Order regime
-- that this country did its shopping for military hardware in
Russia. In this way, Indonesia's present turning toward Russia
for its military needs could seem as though history were, more or
less, repeating itself.

But when one considers the country's long-term strategic
interests, it is not difficult to understand that Indonesia's
decision is a perfectly sound and rational one; no self-
respecting country would -- if conditions permit -- allow itself
to become dependent on only one supplier.

It is perhaps because of such considerations that many
countries prefer to acquire their military equipment from
different sources. For instance, the Malaysian air force, besides
having several Hawk fighters, has 16 Russian-made MiG-29 and two
MiG-9U aircraft. A similar policy of military diversification is
pursued by other countries.

Obtaining military hardware from one source can, of course,
have its advantages. It may, for example, be advantageous for
Indonesia to maintain American F-16 aircraft rather than Russian
MiGs or French-built Mirage fighters. The reason is that
Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand also have this aircraft.
Servicing could therefore be pooled, reducing maintenance costs.

In the present case, the main disadvantage of buying Russian
MiGs is that pilots and technicians would probably need
retraining to fly and maintain the new aircraft. Also, new
training facilities might have to be set up. Our military leaders
and technocrats would then have to weigh the advantages and
disadvantages of hardware diversification, and decide which
equipment to purchase.

Obviously, it was for the purpose of exploring possibilities
that a team of senior officials from various government agencies
visited Moscow last month. As the State Minister of National
Development Planning Ginandjar Kartasasmita told reporters in
Jakarta last week, Indonesia wanted to buy weapons from Russia as
part of its effort to further diversify its sources and maintain
independence.

The Russian-made air defense equipment Jakarta is reportedly
considering includes radars, guided missiles and jet fighters. As
reported, the team concluded that the Russian equipment was
suitable for Indonesia, though further assessments are yet to be
made by Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung and State Minister
of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie.

Considering all this, there is no reason to doubt that
whatever equipment the government decides to buy, and from
whatever source, the choice will be to the country's best
advantage -- militarily, politically as well as economically.