Indonesia Air Force's Sukhois ready for weaponry equipment
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Jakarta, Jan 1, IRNA
Indonesia-Air Force-Sukhoi
ANTARA -- The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) is now ready to install weaponry systems in four of its Sukhoi jet-fighters, TNI AU Commander Vice Marshal Subandrio said here on Monday.
"All the weaponry systems we ordered to equip the Sukhoi Squadron in Makassar have arrived last week," the Air Force chief said on the sidelines of a ceremony marking the transfer of post of Army chief here.
He said that all the weaponry systems would be examined first to ensure that they were already complete before they could be tested.
The four Sukhois were purchased by the TNI AU from Russia in 2003.
Called Flanker, the jet-fighter is of the Sukhoi Su-27 SK Upgrade type equipped with a couple of Lyulka AL-31F engine with a booster strength of 12,550 kg each.
The superiority of the jet-fighter is obvious from its Infra Red Search and Track (IRST) equipment in the cockpit capable of detecting the target as far as 70 km, an instrument which is not found in other jet-fighters made in the West.
The Sukhoi is also able to carry AA-12 Adder airborne missiles which have a cruising range of 50 km, exceeding that of AMRAAM which has a cruising range of 40 km only. It also has the capacity to carry R-73 missiles which are able to hit targets on the side direction at an angle up to 70 degrees.
For targets on land, the Sukhoi could be equipped with H-31P missiles with a cruising range of 100 km or with H-31A anti-craft missiles capable of reaching targets as far as 50 km.
With a capacity of holding 6,000 kg of fuel, the jet-fighter is able to conduct a petrol flight as far as 1,500 kilometers for four hours from the base.
All of the arms systems constitute the deadliest air weaponry system at present, which are more reliable than Israel's Python or AIM-9L/M Sidewinder often used in the West.
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