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Further Reading

Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Udara (TNI AU)
Indonesian Armed Forces - Air Force Modernization
AURI - Air Force of the Republic of Indonesia

As of 2004 the Indonesian Air Force had 259 aircraft of which only about 50% were airworthy. The fleet consists of various type of aircraft such as Hercules C-130, F-16A/B, F-5E/F, L-100-300, Bae Hawk Mk-53-100/200, Bell Helicopters, Skyhawk, C-47 Dakotas, Sikorsky, Su-27SK/30SK, B-707, CN-235, F-27, and F-28. Most of the aircraft are 10 - 20 years old. For the next five years, the Indonesian Air Force would like to spend US$2.7 billion to purchase additional Sukhoi, Super Puma Helicopter NAS-332 and its simulator, CN-235, C-130H, and KT-1B. Both the Indonesian Military and Police operate their own maintenance facilities for routine or simple scheduled maintenance and service. For major maintenance, repair and overhauls, they send engines to manufacturers' approved repair stations in Indonesia or abroad.

Most of the major weapons systems operated by the air force were manufactured in the United States and consisted of the C-130 Hercules, OV-10F Bronco, F-5E Tiger II, and A-4E Skyhawk. The air force also operated several B-737 aircraft for maritime reconnaissance. During the modernization period of the 1980s, the air force also purchased the Automated Logistics Management System (ALMS) from the United States to upgrade its ability to track and requisition spare parts and materials.

PT Indonesian Aerospace, previously named PT IPTN, is the only aircraft manufacturer in Indonesia. The company manufactures the CN-235. PT IA had restructured the company by changing the board of directors and cutting its employees from 9,670 to 4,000. The GOI, through the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency, agreed to hold a 92.9% share in PT IA. In November 2006, PT IA signed an MOU with EADS for producing 60 units of CASA 212-400 worth of $480 million for a 5-year period. PT IA is also working on several orders to deliver CN-235 to the Pakistani Air Force, Malaysian Air Force, and the Government of Thailand. In addition, PT IA has to deliver three Marine Patrol Aircraft (MPAs) and 16 Super Puma helicopters to the Indonesian Air Force and six MPAs and five helicopters to the Indonesian Navy. Besides manufacturing an aircraft, PT IA has contracts to manufacture parts for BAE and Airbus Industries.

When Indonesia could not get spare parts for its F-16 fighter squadrons, which were acquired when the U.S. still supported Indonesia against the Communists, Russia offered their Sukhoi Su-30Ki to replace the F-16s in theIndonesian inventory. Despite the acquisition and training costs associated with transitioning to a new aircraft, the TNI had to accept the change in order to maintain an operational air force.

Indonesian Armed Forces Commander Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto said in 2007 that the country needed at least one squadron equipped with 16 Sukhoi fighters to replace part of the outdated fleet of U.S. F-16 fighters. Under a $300 million contract, signed in 2007, Russia was to supply three Su-30MK2 and three Su-27SKM fighters to Jakarta. Under the contract, two Su-27SK jets must be delivered by the end of 2009. One more fighter was delivered in 2010. Russia delivered the last of six contracted Su fighter jets to Indonesia in 2010. On 17 September 2010 Indonesia's Air Force chief of staff Marshal Imam Sufaat said his country planned to buy six more Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia. He said the purchase would be on the Defense Ministry's long-term agenda, but was not sure when the plan would be implemented. "The existing squadron of Sukhois remains insufficient to give a deterrent effect given our vast territory," Imam told the Antara news agency.

In July 2010 Pakistan Defense Minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar offered his Indonesian counterpart the latest jet fighter called the JF-17 during his visit to Jakarta. Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro responded to the offer, saying that further discussion would be conducted in October. “We will see it first before we decide if we have an interest in purchasing the aircraft,” Purnomo said.

In early 2011 it was reported that Indonesia had decided to purchase a squadron of 16 South Korean-made supersonic T-50 Golden Eagle trainer jets (The Jakarta Post, 14 April 2011). The $400 million deal with Indonesia would see Korea sell 16 T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer jets, jointly built by Korea Aerospace Industries and Lockheed Martin of the United States. But this deal apparently was not concluded. Indonesia wanted to exchange its medium transport CN-235 airplanes with South Korean T-50 Golden Eagle jet trainers in an attempt to promote local products overseas and boost cooperation between the two countries. The Republic of Koreas Air Force (ROKAF) has purchased 20 CN-235 aircraft, 12 of which were built by CASA in Spain and the remaining eight by Dirgantara Indonesia.

On 09 September 2011 Indonesia and South Korea signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen defense bilateral cooperation. Indonesia is also exploring possibilities to buy T-50 jet fighters from South Korea, while South Korea to buy CN-235 from Indonesia. South Korean Minister Kim Kwan-jin was scheduled to speak in a seminar on defense industry at the Indonesian defense ministry office. Indonesia was expected to pick South Korea as the preferred negotiator for its planned purchase of an advanced trainer jet. It would mark a major breakthrough in Seoul`s efforts to export the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer jet.

Indonesia and South Korea talked about the possibilities of producing KFX/IF-X (Korea/Indonesia Fighter jet Experimental) fighters. The KFX project was forged in 2009 when Purnomo and his South Korean counterparts signed a memorandum of understanding during current South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to Indonesia in 2009. Indonesia has taken a huge gamble in a deal with South Korea to manufacture a new type of fighter plane, with a real risk that the project could end in disaster. The initial stage of the deal is estimated to cost $8 billion, with Indonesia required to shoulder 20 percent of the cost, or around $1.6 billion. The rest will be financed by South Korea. Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said in July 2011 that the planes were expected to be ready by 2020, with Indonesia set to buy 50 of an estimated 200 units expected to be produced under the KFX project. The government had so far earmarked around Rp 1.35 trillion ($158 million) for the project to be released during the next four years as the project entered its production phase. The first phase would cover 18 months of technical development through 2013, after which five prototypes were expected to be built — four on South Korean soil and one in Indonesia.

On 30 December 2011 Indonesia signed a $470 million contract with Russia to buy six Sukhoi Su-30MK2 jet fighters for the Indonesian Air Force. The government was reported to have allocated $470 million to buy the planes even though the price was initially announced at $328.8 million. The Jakarta Post daily reported the deal on 10 January 2011. Deliveries will start after 2013. Indonesian Deputy Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said his office had handed over the contract to Rosoboronexport. “We have another contract still in progress,” Sjafrie said.

At that time the Indonesian Air Force currently had 10 Sukhoi jetfighters - six Sukhoi SU-27SKMs and four Sukhoi SU-30MK2s. The Air Force planned to place one squadron of the jet fighters at Hasanuddin Airbase in Makassar. Russia had recently completed a $300-million contract signed in 2007 on the delivery of three Su-30MK2 and three Su-27SKM fighters to Jakarta in addition to two Su-27SK and two Su-30MK fighters purchased in 2003. The official handover ceremony for the last three Su-30MK fighters, delivered by Russia as part of an agreement from 2007, was held at the Sultan Hasanuddin airbase in the South Sulawesi province of Indonesia on 27 September 2010.

Reports in 201l suggested that Britain and Indonesia were negotiating the sale of 24 Eurofighter Typhoons in a $2 billion deal. When British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Jakarta 11 April 2012, the sale of arms was high on the agenda. The British prime minister, who was seeing sluggish economic growth at home, was traveling with an entourage of 30 business delegates during his five-day trip to Asia. As China increased its defense spending and India emerges as the world’s largest importer of arms, Southeast Asia’s largest economy is heading in the same direction. Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, has launched an ambitious plan to modernize its under-equipped military and defense industry. Hoping to capitalize on strong economic growth and ballooning defense budgets in the region, Prime Minister David Cameron told local media that Britain produces some of the “best defense equipment in the world.”