Indonesia Purchases F-16s from America
Tuesday, 26 February, 2008 | 15:18 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Indonesia will purchase six units of F-16 fighter planes together with weapons from the United States. The price is US$30 million per unit. This plan was based on the US offer that wished to provide F-16s for increasing the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) ability. “ God willing, it will be started next year in the five year term,” said Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono after a press conference with US Defense Minister Robert Gates at the Presidential office, Monday (25/2).

Juwono said the six units of F-16s which were produced in the 1990s are called the fourth-generation planes. “The latest ones are too expensive,” he said. The United States, said Juwono, offered F-16 aircraft seeing that TNI needs to increase its ability to be able to reach the equality of defense technology among neighboring countries. “If we’re more stable, certainly Indonesia as a market will be more beneficial for the US business,” said Juwono when asked about the motive of the US offer.

However, Juwono said he does not know the mechanism to be used in the aircraft purchase. The government, said Juwono, is putting out efforts to use the Foreign Military Sales or Foreign Military Financing. In addition, he said, the plan purchase must also be approved by the Finance Department and the House of Representatives.

In addition to the six aircraft purchase, the US also offered to refurbish four F-16 planes of 1970s production owned by Indonesia. The US will also help Indonesia install a radar in seven spots in Indonesia, including the Malacca Strait.

Juwono denied there is a competition between the US and Russia in Indonesia’s weapon system main equipment procurement (alutsista). Alutsista purchase from Russia, such as Sukhoi planes, said Juwono, is actually sluggish. Yet, Juwono went on, the purchase from the US also underwent bureaucracy impediment in Pentagon and the congress. “So both are difficult,” he said. Aside from the aircraft offer, the US also offered around US$16 million of aid.

Fanny Febiana