RI TO HAVE 180 SUKHOIS, 50 KFX WAR PLANES

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 27 (ANTARA) - Despite its limited military budget, Indonesia is planning to  reinforce its Air Force in stages and in the coming 15 years, it will have a new generation of 50 war planes from South Korea in addition to ten squadrons of 180 Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters.          "In 2020, Indonesia will have a new generation of warplanes  which will be produced under a cooperation scheme with South Korea,"  Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Monday.          Under the cooperation scheme with South Korea, Indonesia will get a total of 50 war planes designed by South Korea with a fighting capability not second to that of F16 jet fighter planes.       He said Indonesia and South Korea had signed a memorandum of understanding about the cooperation in Seoul, South Korea, on July 15, 2010.  Under the cooperation, Indonesia will be involved in the production of Korean Fighter Experimental (KFX) war planes, a fighter jet designed by South Korea.          According to Secretary General of the Ministry of Defense and Security Vice Marshal Erris Herryanto,  in carrying out the cooperation Indonesia would do its best so that the KFX planes would be produced in Indonesia, particularly by the Indonesian aircraft industry PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI).          "We hope that the war planes will be made here in Indonesia. We will discuss this matter with South Korea," he said.           He said that in the contract of cooperation between South Korea and Indonesia, five prototypes of the planes were expected to be made together.           One of the five prototypes will be made in Indonesia and four others in South Korea.           After the conclusion of the working contract, there will be a phase of war plane production to be made at home. "There will be a phase in which the war planes will be produced at home after the work contract is concluded," he said.           In the agreement which was signed between the commissioner of South Korea's Ministry of Defense and the Secretary General of the Indonesian Defense Ministry Vice Marshal Erris Herryanto, Indonesia will bear 20 percent of the cost and will get 50 war planes which have a fighting capability exceeding that of F-16s.          In the meantime, by 2024, Indonesia also hopes to have ten squadrons of 180 Sukhoi jet fighters to guard the country.  "To defend our country's sovereignty, we have set a target to have 180 Sukhoi jet fighters by developing 10 squadrons," Minister Purnomo, who was accompanied Chief of the Air Force Marshall Imam Sufaat,  said in Makassar Monday.          Each squadron will have 18 Sukhois, he said. The defense ministry in its strategic working plan has also to buy F-16 Fighting Falcons to replace Australia-made Hawks.          Russia has expressed its readiness to supply as many Sukhois as Indonesia needs. "With the improving national economic condition, it will help the government in acquiring weapons to strengthen the national defense," he said.          Now Indonesia already has ten Sukhoi war planes.  In 2003, Indonesia purchased two Sukhois of the SU-30 MK type and two of the SU-27SK type.  Later, the Defense Ministry bought six more Sukhois in 2007 worth US$300 million, or Rp2.85 trillion.          The six purchased Sukhois consisted of three SU-30MK2s and three SU-30SKM. Three SU-30MK2s arrived in Makassar in 2008 and 2009. The other three arrived this month (Sept. 2010) and were officially handed over to the defense minister on Monday (Sept 27, 2010).           The purchase of the six Russian made Sukhois has been planned based on the Air Force's Fleet Development Program for 2005-2009.  In the 2005 budget year, funds totalling US$310 million were allocated for the procurement of six Sukhois.          The Russian Sukhoi producing company on August 21, 2007, announced the sale of the six jet fighters to Indonesia worth US$300 million.  The procurement was to be conducted in stages in the  2007-2009 period.  However three others were realized in 2010.          The plan to reinforce the Air Force is being made amid a tight military budget.  Therefore, the government is urged to increase the amount of military budget. After all, many military equipment needs maintenance.          The shrinking military budget is being taken while about 70 percent of the country's military armaments are aging and the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) is putting to rest a number of its obsolete main armaments, including planes, ships and helicopters aged more than 30 years.           It is predicted that in the coming ten years the maintenance of TNI's armaments would cost Rp93.87 trillion (US$10.203 billion), of which Rp41.9 trillion (US$4.5 billion) for the air force's armaments.          So far, the government has provided only one third of the needed budget to maintain and preserve the military equipment.          According to the House of Representatives, the ideal budget for the military is about Rp100 trillion.          However the government last for example was only able to provide one third of it, or about Rp33 trillion.  In the coming budget, the government has allocated Rp45.2 trillion.          According to Fayakhun Andriadi, a member of the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission I on defense affairs,  the government has to find a quick solution to the National Defense Forces (TNI)'s problem of inadequate military hardware and needs to improve servicemen's welfare.           He said that the solution lays in implementing a Minimum Essential Force (MEF) buildup program or providing the TNI with minimum standard defense hardware and improving soldiers' welfare.           As regards, Golkar Party Chairman Aburizal Bakrie ordered the Gokar faction (FPG) in the House of Representatives (DPR) to fight for increase in defense budget.          "If we talk about state's security we cannot take it lightly. We should not be hampered by shortage of funds," the Golkar chairman told a press conference here on Monday. He said that Indonesia should not be weakened by shortage of funds so that it should raise its defense budget.          "In term of defending sovereignty we should not be weak. I ask the Golkar faction in the House to fight for increased budget based on the need," he said.  He did not mention how much increased budget was needed for the defense system.          In his address on the 2011 draft state budget and financial notes at the House Plenary session last August, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that the Defense Ministry got a budget allocation of Rp45.2 trillion.          Aburizal Bakari said that a budget of that amount for maintaining the country's sovereignty was too small. ***1*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/20:39/a014)  27-09-2010 21:00: