Jakarta – Out of all the planes owned by the Indonesian Air Force, only 40 percent can be operated optimally. The remaining 60 percent cannot be operated optimally because of several problems, including the lack of engines for Hercules planes.
TNI Air Force Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Djoko Suyanto made this statement to reporters following when he took up his new position from Marshall Chappy Hakim at the Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta on Wednesday (23/020).
Suyanto said he expected that the government, specifically the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, would conduct efforts to improve Air Force plane operation to 70-80 percent. "Our projection [in the Air Force] in the future is to increase the activities of the planes. However, this all depends on the budget," he stated.
Suyanto cited the fact that the Air Force that now has 20 Hercules planes, which ideally each have four engines, meaning that 80 engines are required. However, the Air Force currently only has between 36 and 40 Hercules engines.
It's a similar situation as regards Air Force fighter planes, with four Sukhoi fighters still without their weapons systems. According to Suyanto, the Air Force should have a complete squadron (16 planes) of Sukhoi fighters complete with weapons systems.
Because of the budget problems and the economic crisis, the Air Force Chief of Staff continued, the purchase of a Sukhoi fighter squadron planned since 1996 has been delayed. Just two years ago, the government was able to purchase only four of these fighters.
Suyanto said that the Air Force has convinced the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) that the air defense system is an integrated system.
Only having radars but not having equipments to identify, intercept and destroy enemies is not a good and full defense system. "Therefore, this equipment must be purchased and installed," Suyanto stated. He said he would continue filing requests for the completion of Sukhoi facilities.
The Indonesian Ministry of Defense, which is authorized to supply the Air Force with weapons, has delayed the plan to purchase the Russian fighters in the 2005 year budget.
Suyanto stated that the Air Force really needed to have the purchase of these fighter planes included in the 2006 budget. He pointed out that the purchase of the Sukhoi fighters has already been planned by the Air Force.
"So, we have to be consistent in conducting the purchase because it is impossible to operate the air defense system properly only with four Sukhoi fighters," Suyanto stated.
He said he also hoped that the number of Hercules planes and engines would be increased along with efforts to have the US military embargo on Indonesia lifted.
Following the tsunami wave disaster in Aceh, Suyanto said, the Air Force has received the aid in the form of 80 types of Hercules spare parts worth US$970,000. "These spare parts are already in the hangars," he said
At a press conference held at the TNI Air Force headquarters (HQ) in Cilangkap, former Air Force Chief of Staff Marshall Chappy Hakim said that the courage of the Air Force to decide on purchasing Russian fighters was a strategic breakthrough in improving the air defense system in Indonesia.
"This is important to balance conditions and avoid depending on only one country," stated Hakim. (Dimas Adityo/Agus Supriyanto-Tempo News Room)