TNI Alfa Team Maps Aerial Routes to West Kalimantan Hotspots
Pontianak (ANTARA) - A joint Alfa Team from the three branches of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) is conducting aerial surveillance and mapping to detect hotspots and identify the quickest routes to forest and land fire (karhutla) locations in the West Kalimantan region.
“The activity received support from Yon Parako 466 Pasgat, which deployed one visual control point (VCP) team to direct paramotor movements during the aerial mapping operation in Mekarsari Village, Sungai Raya District, Kubu Raya Regency,” said the VCP Senior from Yon Parako 466 Pasgat, Lieutenant Pas Richo Hamdan, in Sungai Raya on Tuesday.
Richo explained that the Alfa Team is a combination of personnel from several units, including Kopassus, Korpasgat, Kostrad, and the Marine Corps, deployed to accelerate the detection and handling of hotspots in areas that are difficult to reach via land routes.
The deployment of these airborne troops is part of Military Operations Other Than War (OMSP) to assist the public and the government in managing disasters, including forest and land fires.
Through aerial monitoring using paramotors, the team is conducting surveillance and mapping to identify the location of hotspots while simultaneously determining the nearest access points for firefighting personnel to reach the fire sites.
“Aerial mapping is considered vital because several fire points in West Kalimantan are located in savannah and alang-alang grassland areas that are highly flammable, allowing fire to spread rapidly,” he said.
Furthermore, accessing fire locations via land routes requires significant time, particularly when reaching remote and isolated areas.
With aerial mapping, personnel are expected to reduce travel time by determining landing points and the nearest routes to the fire locations.
“Personnel do not need to search the area randomly, but can go directly to the points that have been mapped through aerial monitoring,” he added.
In addition to paramotors, drones are also being utilised to assist in detecting hotspots and providing an overview of field conditions before personnel move towards the locations.
“This strategy is expected to increase the speed and precision of forest and land fire handling, especially in difficult-to-reach forest and land areas, so that the fire can be controlled immediately before it spreads,” he concluded.