By Andi Abdussalam
Jakarta, Feb 6 (ANTARA) - Indonesia, which was affected by a military embargo by the United States some time in the past, has decided to ground its aging military armaments.
As almost 70 percent of its armaments are now aging, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) will soon put to rest a number of its obsolete main armaments, including planes, ships and helicopters aged more than 30 years.
"We will ground our aging armament made in the 1960s. But we will make inventories of and check them again," TNI Chief Gen Djoko Santoso said after a limited meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The government's decision to ground the aging weaponry system followed several accidents that befell a number of TNI soldiers who used outdated military equipment, including aircraft and other vehicles.
"The conditions of the TNI's arsenal system are worrying. Many of the armaments are aging and this needs to be discussed comprehensively," Theo L Sambuaga, chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission I, which deals with defense, said.
He said that the house will propose to the government to hold a consultative meeting to discuss the procurement and replacement of the military's aging armaments.
Of late, several accidents have befallen a number of TNI personnel who used aging equipment. The saddening condition also happened with the marines' Russian-made amphibious armored vehicle 'AL BTR-50P' which sank in East Java's waters and killed six marines last week.
Just look at a Nomad P837-833 which crashed in Sabang, Aceh province recently. The aircraft was made in Australia in 1985 with an engine manufactured in the United States. With the ability to fly at an altitude of 10,000 feet, the aircraft of that type is no longer produced in Australia while Indonesia is still using it despite the fact that its spare-parts in Australia are almost no longer available.
Since the 1980s, there has been no significant regeneration in TNI's weaponry system. Since the United States imposed a military embargo on Indonesia, the TNI strength can no longer be said superior if compared with its condition in the 1960s.
The TNI headquarters said that about 70 percent of TNI's weaponry were over 20 years old and now is the time for their replacement.
At present the TNI's Alutsista (main equipment of the arsenal system) which are ready to be operated are only about 40-70 percent of the ideal need. Most of the TNI's Alutsista are left-over of the procurement conducted in the 1960s, 1980s and that of the 1990 to 2000 period.
"In the Army for example, of the 872 combat vehicles of various types only about 71.79 percent are ready to be operated. There are as well 25,716 motor vehicles of various types, but only about 85,04 percent are ready for operations. Besides, of the 61 aircraft in the Army, only about 53.51 percent are operational," said TNI Spokesman Rear Marshel Saom Tamboen.
The same condition also happened in the Navy. Of the 133 warships it has, only about 50.82 percent are ready for operations. Likewise, of its 453 marine vehicles, only about 36.09 percent are ready to be used. Of the Navy's 71 aircraft, only about 52 percent are ready for operations.
In the meantime, the Air Force has 251 aircraft of which only about 45.82 percent can be operated. It has 16 radars but only 18.75 percent are ready for operations.
According to Theo L Sambuaga, the government and the House need to discuss the worrying conditions of the military aging weaponry. After all, the government's military budget is limited.
Therefore, the House Commission I has plans to hold a consultation meeting with the government. "We need to meet and discuss a way out how to develop and modernize the TNI's arsenal system effectively and efficiently based on the available budget," he said.
On the government's decision to decommission all aging military equipment, Theo said the government should be consistent with its plan to modernize the TNI in accordance with the available budget.
"I basically agree with the proposal (to decommission old military hardware) but it should be carried out after a comprehensive audit on the conditions of the old equipment. Not all of the old hardware should be grounded," Sambuaga said.
In the meantime, Theo's lawmaker colleague Andreas H Pareira of the Commission I suggested a number of strategic steps the government could take in renovating the TNI's military equipment.
He said the government should make inventories of all outdated equipment in the three armed services and then write them off or put them to use for other purposes.
"We can see a good example in East Europe where people transformed obsolete armored vehicles into farm tractors. We are an agrarian country," he said.
The third step the government could take, he said, was to adjust the need for military hardware to the TNI's posture and planning.
"So, let us not just make reactive statements, much less overdue statements. We should begin talking based on mature and rational planning which will benefit the state," he said.
He was referring to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's statement to ground the aging armaments after several incidents took place.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been too late in responding to the use of obsolete military equipment because he did so only after a few accidents had taken the lives of a number of servicemen, he said.
Yudhoyono, as reported earlier, suggested that aging military equipment should no longer be used for security and safety reasons.
"The direction of the government is clear enough. Some time ago the government and the military issued a decision that outdated armament should no longer be used," the president said.
He affirmed that a number of old armaments like Hercules C-130 and amphibious tanks would no longer be used.
"We have decided and instructed the military (TNI) not to use aging armaments," the president said. (T.A014/A/HAJM/B003) 2. 21:25. (T.A014/A/A014/B003) 06-02-2008 22:40:08
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