U.S., RI jet fighters came too close for comfort
U.S., RI jet fighters came too close for comfort
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Few people realize that Indonesia may have been just seconds away
from a possible war with the United States when its warplanes
came into close contact with U.S. jet fighters this week.
The U.S. Navy F-18 Hornets were in attack mode and ready to
fire at any moment when two of Indonesia's American-made F-16s
met them above Bawean island in the Java Sea on Thursday
afternoon, according to National Air Defense Commander Rear
Marshall Wresnowiro.
Below is the chronology of the encounter involving two
Indonesia F-16s and five U.S. F-18s:
4:50 p.m. F-16 jet fighters start their engines in Madiun air
base in East Java.
5:01 p.m. Information about the location of intruding jetplanes
is received by F-16s,
5:02 p.m. F-16 jet fighters take off.
5:20 p.m. Jet fighters get information that two U.S. warplanes
are on their way toward them.
5:21 p.m. Radar contact with U.S. warplanes is established.
5:22 p.m. Radar of all four warplanes jam each other.
5:24 p.m. U.S. warplanes "lock on" to one of Indonesia's F-16s,
meaning they are ready to fire any moment; F-16 promptly
maneuvers to avoid attack.
5:25 p.m. An F-16 comes close to an F-18 Hornet; the latter
maneuvers and maintains a two-mile distance from F-16.
5:25.30 p.m. An F-16 gets involved in close maneuvers with two F-
18s since the latter were in an attack posture. At the same time,
an F-16 sees a US Navy frigate sailing to the east. Another F-16
takes a position as a support fighter.
5:26 p.m. An F-18 speeds away and is involved in close manuevers
with an F-16
5:26.10 p.m. An F-16 maneuvers with two F-18s. The other F-16
displays a "rocking the wing" sign to say that they are not a
threat.
5:26.15 p.m. An F-16 is able to communicate with the F-18s.
5:26.20 p.m. An F-18 informs F-16s that they are part of a U.S.
Navy squadron and that they have secured a permit to enter
Indonesian airspace.
5:26.30 p.m. An F-16 says that they are on a regular patrolling
mission.
5:27 p.m. F-18 warplanes fly away.
5:27.30 p.m. F-16s return to air base