Jakarta – Indonesian air force officials have revealed that more than half their front-line aircraft have been grounded and a third of their radar stations are inoperable due to a lack of funding, days after the navy made similar admissions.

Air Force Marshal Chappy Hakim told a parliamentary panel on defence on Wednesday that pilot training was also limited. "This situation is the result of the small budget we receive each year," Marshal Chappy said.

His testimony follows similar comments by navy chief Admiral Bernard Sondakh, who complained on Monday that 250 of the service's 300 vessels were no longer seaworthy.

Indonesia, an archipelagic nation with more than 13,000 islands, has no external enemies. But the dire state of its air force and navy has set off a debate over how best to patrol the country's maritime resources and prevent pirates, smugglers and potential terrorists from penetrating its porous borders.

Traditionally, the army receives the bulk of defence funding. Many say this leaves the country's borders unprotected. Air force and navy commanders are urging lawmakers to approve significant budget increases for their services.

Marshal Chappy told legislators that only 93 of the 222 aircraft in the air force's inventory were operational. Seven of its 18 C-130 Hercules transport planes were currently airworthy, while five of the country's 16 radar stations were closed.

In its 2002 budget, the air force was allocated 236.5 billion rupiah for maintenance, 206.7 billion rupiah for training and 29.8 billion rupiah for radar maintenance. But Marshal Chappy said the air force needed 4.2 trillion rupiah this year.