Immaculate Choice: Indonesia Poised to Buy Russian Su-35 Fighters

14:31 18.11.2015 (updated 14:42 18.11.2015)

The Russian-Indonesian joint commission on military-technical cooperation will discuss the purchase of the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighters in late November in Jakarta, Indonesian Ambassador to Moscow Djauhari Oratmangun said Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in November, head of the International Cooperation Department of Russian state technology corporation Rostec Viktor Kladov stated Jakarta decided to purchase newest Russian Su-35 Fighters and discussed the construction of service centers in Indonesia.

According to the diplomat, the fact that the Indonesian Defense Minister has recently made an official statement on the issue confirms the existence of the plans for the purchase of Su-35.

"It is a good sign, after which real agreements will emerge. In late November, a technical meeting of the joint commission on military-technical cooperation will be held, and this issue will be one of the main topics," Oratmangun told RIA Novosti in an interview.

However, he noted, a tender for the purchase of aircraft has not been announced so far.

The Su-35 fighter (NATO reporting name Flanker-E) jet is an upgraded version of the Su-27 multirole fighter. It was first introduced to a foreign audience at the 2013 Paris Air Show.

Russia, China Sign $2 Billion Contract on Delivery of Su-35 Fighters

07:49 19.11.2015 (updated 07:56 19.11.2015)

Russia’s state technologies corporation Rostec head Sergey Chemezov announced that Russia and China have signed a contract, estimated to be worth $2 billion, on the delivery of 24 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia and China have signed a contract, estimated to be worth $2 billion, on the delivery of 24 Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets, Russia’s state technologies corporation Rostec head Sergey Chemezov announced.

"The long negotiations on the delivery of Su-35 to China are over, we have signed a contract," Chemezov said as quoted by the Russian Kommersant daily on Thursday.

The Su-35 fighter jet (NATO reporting name Flanker-E) is an upgraded version of the Su-27 multirole fighter. It was first introduced to a foreign audience at the 2013 Paris Air Show.

Indonesia, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates have also expressed interest in purchasing Su-35 jets, according to Rostec.

On Wednesday, Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Djauhari Oratmangun said that a Russian-Indonesian joint commission on military-technical cooperation will discuss the purchase of the Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighters in late November in Jakarta.

INSIDE CHINA: China concedes Natuna Islands to Indonesia

Et tu, Jakarta?

By Miles Yu - - Thursday, November 19, 2015

In a rare move to avoid further isolation in a region where it has territorial disputes with nearly all of its maritime neighbors, China made a major concession last week by publicly clarifying and acknowledging Indonesia’s sovereign right to the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea.

The region has been witnessing a dramatic rise of tensions since January, when China began a massive sand-pumping project to greatly expand the tiny isles of Mischief Reef and Subi Island in the Spratly Islands chain in the South China Sea.

The Natuna Islands chain, which sits between the northwestern tip of Indonesia on the island of Borneo and the southern tip of Vietnam, consists of about 270 islands that form part of Indonesia’s Riau Islands Province with some 70,000 residents

On Nov. 12, China shocked the countries in the region by issuing a first-ever public statement on the Natuna Islands. According to Hong Lei, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, “The Indonesian side has no territorial claim to China’s [Spratly Islands]. The Chinese side has no objection to Indonesia’s sovereignty over the Natuna Islands.”

This is significant because, although the Natuna Islands are outside of China’s self-designated “Nine-Dash-Line” that lays claim to virtually all of the South China Sea, Natuna’s 200-miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ) protrudes into the area defined by the Nine-Dash-Line. To publicly recognize Indonesia’s sovereign right to the Natunas means China’s acknowledgment of Indonesia’s legitimate claim to an EEZ inside China’s self-claimed Nine-Dash-Line.

And this is not something that China has been willing to do, partly because of the inexact nature of the so-called Nine-Dash-Line and partly because China does not want to show weakness to its smaller neighbors who challenge its maritime claims. Beijing’s failure to clarify with Indonesia the competing claims on the Natuna Islands and the EEZ lies at the root of the angst felt by Jakarta for decades.

Traditionally, Indonesian officials have preferred low-key diplomacy with China on the Natuna situation. And China needs Indonesia, too, as the largest and weightiest country in the ASEAN bloc where four members — the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei — openly dispute China’s maritime claims.

Several past Indonesian leaders have said they received private assurances from China that, since the two countries do not have an island dispute inside the Nine-Dash-Line, China would not dispute Jakarta’s sovereignty over the Natuna Islands. But Beijing has deliberately avoided public discussion of the EEZ issue, which fueled doubts for many in Jakarta over Beijing’s sincerity in those private assurances. Some argued that China was pursuing a Fabian strategy to wear Indonesia down so that the EEZ issue would eventually evaporate.

But Beijing misread Jakarta, because Indonesia seems to have grown increasingly impatient with Beijing’s strategic ambiguity on the EEZ situation.

To make things worse, China began its massive sand-pumping project to reclaim and augment small islands in the Spratly’s chain, further angering not only Vietnam and the Philippines, but also Japan, Australia, the United States and Indonesia. The maritime waters just north of the Natuna Islands have suddenly become the potential flash point of a general war involving the navies of several of the world’s most powerful nations.

Indonesian Air Force to start modernizing weaponry in 2016

Jumat, 20 November 2015 17:28 WIB

Karanganyar, C Java (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Air Force will improve its weaponry during the 2016-2019 period to secure the nations territory.

"The air force plans to buy more modern weaponry during the 2016-2019 period," Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Agus Supriatna stated here on Friday.

The government will provide funds to the Indonesian Air Force to modernize its weaponry, including for the purchase of a squadron of new jet fighters to replace the ageing F-5E Tiger jet fighters.

According to Agus, the Indonesian Air Force will purchase modern jet fighters, with options including the F-16 or Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft.

Indonesia will also purchase transport helicopters, heavy transport aircraft, and multi-role aircraft that can be operated to assist in search and rescue efforts and to extinguish fires.

Agus remarked that Indonesia plans to purchase Beriev BE-200 amphibious aircraft that can lift 15 tons of water to put out fires.

"The Indonesian Air Force will also add more radar equipment to monitor its airspace. We will add new weaponry and facilities during the 2016-2019 period," Agus added.

To provide air transport to VVIPs, the Indonesian Air Force plans to purchase three VVIP helicopters or a presidential aircraft.

"The VVIP helicopters or aircraft should be in good condition and meet the safety standards. We must protect the president and vice president as they are state symbols," the chief emphasized.

According to Agus, the Indonesian Air Force is considering to purchase a new VVIP helicopter from Agusta Westland.

Earlier in July, the Indonesian Air Force had conducted a study to replace its C-130 Hercules aircraft with the new aircraft either from France, the United States, or Russia.

The decision on the purchase of the transport aircraft will be made by the government.

Additionally, the Defense Ministrys Head of Public Communications Brigadier General Jundan Eko Bintoro justified the plan to replace the Hercules aircraft with either Airbus A400M from France or Boeing C-17 from the United States as the two types of transport aircraft have a large capacity.

Indonesia has also established cooperation with South Korea for the development of the KFX/IFX stealth jet fighter, which is still ongoing.(*)

South Korea-Indonesia Discussing Financial Terms of KF-X Fighter Jet Partnership

Source : Our Bureau ~ Dated : Friday, November 20, 2015 @ 04:15 AM

South Korea is discussing financial terms and other responsibilities with Indonesia for their partnership to produce the Korean Fighter Experimental (KF-X) project.

South Korea is in the “final stage” of negotiations with Indonesia over their partnership on a local fighter jet development program and the results will possibly come early next week, the defense procurement agency said yesterday as quoted by Yonhap news.

Kim Si-cheol, spokesman for the Defense Acquisition Program Administration said at a press briefing that "The result is possible for early next week."

Indonesia and South Korea entered into a preliminary agreement last month under which the former will bear 20 per cent of the development cost for the KF-X project in return for 50 aircraft. The project is expected to fructify by 2025.

Indonesian media has reported earlier that the total cost to Jakarta for its share KF-X project and the 50 aircraft would be in the region of US$1.5-2 billion.

Seoul roped in Jakarta for the project after the U.S. refused to approve the transfer of four key fighter jet technologies out of 25 that U.S.-based defense firm Lockheed Martin had offered in an offset deal linked to South Korea's purchase of 40 F-35 Lightning II jets last year.

For the transfer of the remaining 21 technologies, South Korea is currently in discussions with the U.S. firm in Seoul, Kim said, according to Yonhap.

U.S. sells used F-16s to foreign countries, Hill AFB gets planes ready

BY BRIAN MULLAHY
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH 2015

(KUTV) Pilots and their warplanes at Hill Air Force Base are prepared to fight, when called to duty; but you might be surprised that Hill is getting F-16s ready to fight -- for somebody else.

From Pakistan to Poland -- Thailand to Oman -- Bahrain to Singapore -- two dozen countries have bought F-16s from the United States government.

"Today we've seen plenty of interest in acquiring F-16s," said Greg Brown, Deputy Director of the F-16 Program Office, which has operations at Hill and Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio.

On the tarmac, and inside a hangar at Hill last week, 2News was shown F-16s for Indonesia, which has bought more than twenty planes in the last couple of years, at a reported price in the range of $700 million.

What does an F-16 go for?

"It depends, if it's a new aircraft, it could be anywhere between $60 - 70 million," said Pamela Lee, F-16 International Branch Chief. A single used one might be half that much; and in the used market, Hill is a highly technical mechanic and body shop. The State Department is the sales office, deciding who can buy, and if a deal flies.

F-16s have gone to stable countries, not perceived as militaristic -- Belgium, Denmark, Norway. But the fighters have also gone to nations wracked by violence and political turmoil.

Iraq, where ISIS may control most cities, has purchased planes -- and may get three dozen F-16s. In September, Iraq is said to have used the jets to drop bombs on ISIS targets.

F-16s have also gone to Egypt, scene of protest, political upheaval, and a coup; though the State Department said sales have been put on a two year "pause."

But what safeguards are there, to ensure American military planes don't wind up in enemy hands?

In interview at Hill and with a State Department spokesman, it emerged that buyers must agree to U.S. monitoring for the life of the plane, and that the F-16 can't be resold without U.S. approval. Further, the United States can withhold technical support, and cut-off buyers.

"At every step of the process, we are taking the potential for misuse of the U.S. defense equipment into account," said State Department spokesman David McKeeby.

The sales goal is, "to further U.S. national security."

He said the sales mean, "We don't have to be everywhere. We can share the burden maintaining global security."

War planes have found up in enemy hands. In the 1970s, Iran flipped from friend to foe.

Iran may still have U.S. F-4s, F-5s and F-14 fighters that may have come through Hill.

2News Brian Mullahy was a passenger in a Hill F-15 for a dog-fight training run over the west desert, a G-force punishing mission. That plane was not exactly like the F-16s delivered to foreign governments. The restoration or the reconfiguration of a fighter jet work-horse can take years.

KAI signs deal to clinch Indonesian partnership in KF-X

Published : 2015-11-22 15:16
Updated : 2015-11-22 15:16

Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. signed a deal with Indonesia on Sunday, clinching the Southeast Asian country's partnership in a lavish local fighter jet development program.
  
Under the preliminary contract, Indonesia will shoulder 20 percent, or 1.7 trillion won ($1.5 billion), of the program's 8.7 trillion-won cost to develop the advanced multi-role combat jet, according to the airplane manufacturer.
  
The Korean Fighter Experimental program is designed to develop and mass-produce homegrown dual-engine combat airplanes by 2025. It's one of the most lavish defense procurement projects here with more than 8 trillion won in development costs in addition to 10 trillion won to be spent in mass production. KAI is South Korea's contractor manufacturer of the program.
  
With the partnership, Indonesia will be entitled to purchase 50 new planes.
  
Under the deal signed Sunday, Indonesia will be able to take part in the designing of the airplane, as well as in the production of components for the program.
  
It will also be entitled to acquire the aviation technology of the project and bring home one experimental airplane, according to KAI.
  
"All the specifics have been agreed upon with the Indonesian side, regarding the KF-X development," said Jang Sung-sub, director of KAI. The KAI-Indonesia deal will be finalized after KAI signed its final agreement with the South Korean government as the contractor of the project later this year.
  
The latest deal will help expedite the local project, which has been criticized by the National Assembly, as well as the public.
  
The program was dealt a major blow after the U.S. Department of State refused in April to approve U.S.-based Lockheed Martin's transfer of four core aviation technologies for the South Korean project.
  
Speculation had also circulated that Indonesia might take back its offer to form a partnership first committed in 2011.
  
In addition to the 120 and 50 units to be delivered to the South Korean and Indonesian air forces, respectively, KAI plans to produce up to 600 units of the new airplane to sell them overseas, another KAI official said. (Yonhap)

RMAF Hawk Squadron to be fully deployed in Labuan next year

By Kristy Inus - 20 November 2015 @ 2:59 PM

LABUAN: The Hawk Squadron will be fully deployed at the Labuan Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) by the first quarter of next year.

RMAF air operations commander Lieutenant General Datuk Seri Ackbal Abdul Samad, speaking at the closing of the Paradise Exercise 2/2015 at the base here, he said detachment is being done on a permanent basis involving the squadron crew.

"This means the officers change on rotation but the aircraft are permanently here.

"But we are moving from permanent detachment to a fixed base here (for the Hawk Squadron) in Labuan, and we are looking to get this done by the first quarter of 2016.

"The Labuan RMAF manpower currently stands at 600; with the full Hawk Squadron, numbers are expected to reach up to 900 officers," he told reporters.

Asked on the current assets in the Labuan base, Ackbal said are unable to disclose the inventory but the facility has transportation aircraft, helicopter squadrons as well as the fighter squadron.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the tabling of the 2015 Budget in October last year, announced that the Hawk Squadron was being shifted from the Butterworth base to Labuan to strengthen security in the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (Esszone).

Meanwhile, about 60 media practitioners from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Labuan participated in the two-day Media Day with the Defence Ministry and RMAF which started yesterday.

The press also witnessed a demonstration of RMAF's operation capabilities using fighter jets like F/A-18D Hornet, the Sukhoi SU-30MKM and Hawk 108/208; C130H-30; KC130 and CN235 transport planes, as well as the EC725 and Nuri helicopters, at the closing of Paradise Exercise 2/2015 which began on Nov 9.

RMN looking at UAVs

Marhalim Abas
November 23, 2015
Malaysia -RMN

SHAH ALAM: THE RMN is looking at acquiring UAVs to boost maritime domain awareness as budget woes limits it hull numbers, its newly appointed Chief Admiral Ahmad Kamarulzaman Badaruddin said today. He however, did not specify numbers or the type of UAVs to be acquired nor the timeline for the procurement.

During the recent 2016 budget announcement, it was stated that the government wants to acquire UAVs for the Armed Forces to boost its ISR capabilities.

Admiral Kamarulzaman said the UAVs will allow the RMN to patrol larger areas compared to its current capability due to the lack of ships. “if something of interest is detected, we can then send our ship to the area,” he told reporters after conferring ranks to four RMN personnel. Two businessmen was awarded the honorary Commander rank in the naval reserves.

Admiral Kamarulzaman also said the navy was also looking into ways “to do more with less”. Among others, in the near future, training for navy personnel will be conducted using simulators, whenever possible, further reducing operational costs.

And also to reduce cost, the navy, according to the Admiral Kamarulzaman will also be centralising its procurement activities at the navy headquarters at the Defence Ministry. He said apart from reducing cost, it will also reduced the chance of corruption and leakages.

Although he did not say it, the re-location of the procurement activities was likely due to the the corruption scandal at the Lumut naval base recently. A number of senior RMN personnel, including a Captain, had been charged in court for various counts corruption and money laundering for contracts mostly related and approved at the Lumut base.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Kamarulzaman confirmed that both RMN’s uncompleted training ships, Teguh Samudera and Gagah Samudera, were now at the Grade One Marine Shipyard in Lumut. He said work on the ships are expected to be conducted once the contracts were finalised.

New Analysis

Ahmad Kamarulzaman statement on the UAVs is the first confirmation that the programme is officially on-going. However due to time constraints, not much details could be ascertained for the programme and other RMN’s priorities in RMK11.

However, it is likely that the UAVs being looked into could be the ones that could be easily integrated on RMN’s ships like the Insitu Scaneagle (already operated in ESSCOM AOR) and even the Scheibel Camcopter which an MOU between Petronas and the Armed Forces signed during LIMA 15.

It is unlikely we will be going for something much more capable and expensive at the same time, like the General Atomics Predator XP (above).

MONDAY, 23 NOVEMBER, 2015 | 15:16 WIB

TNI AU Purchases New AW-101 Helis for VVIP Transport

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesia Air Force (TNI AU) plans to purchase a new AgustaWestland 101 (AW-101) helicpoter to replace its' aging Super Puma helicopter, which is used to transport VVIPs and its' guests, according to TNI AU's Head of Public Informations, Air Commodore Dwi Badarmanto.

The unit is set to arrive in Indonesia in 2016. "The purchase is already included in TNI AU's strategic planning for 2014-2019, so although it will be used primarily for the President's transport, it is not purchased for the President alone," said Badarmanto to Tempo on Monday, November 23, 2015.

AW-101 helicopters have three Rolls Royce Turbomeca RTM322-01 turboshaft engines with a total output of 1,566 kWs, which will make it faster and more capable of carrying more passengers.

"Super Pumas have a maximum load of seven - the newer AW-101s will be able to transport 13 passengers in greater comfort," said Badarmanto.

The Palace has yet to comment on the purchase.

ANANDA TERESIA

MMEA Requires New Offshore Patrol Vessels To Boost Security

KUANTAN, Nov 22 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) requires additional offshore patrol vessels (OPV) equipped with various advanced facilities to improve efficiency and boost security in Malaysia's territorial waters.

MMEA deputy director-general (operations), Rear Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Che Hassan Jusoh said the two existing OPVs received from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) were over 30 years old.

"We will ask the government to build a 40-metre-long maritime patrol boat equipped with facilities such as a helipad and radar and artillery systems to enable MMEA to carry out its functions effectively, in the face of any threat.

"The new vessel will be expected to set sail for 21 days and carry more food and fuel as compared to existing vessels which can only sail for a week," he said.

Che Hassan was speaking to reporters after launching the MMEA Maritime Friends Programme in Kampung Beserah Pantai here Sunday.

Meanwhile, MMEA is also expected to acquire in stages, six 43-metre-long patrol vessels built at a cost of RM370 million, beginning next year-end.

-- BERNAMA

First 2 'Golden Eagle' fighters from Korea arriving at Clark Friday

By: Jaime Sinapit, InterAksyon.com
November 24, 2015 1:52 PM

MANILA, Philippines -- The first two FA-50 “Golden Eagle” jet fighters from South Korea will be touching down at Clark airbase in Pampanga on Friday.

The Philippines has acquired 12 of the two-seater aircraft from Korean Aerospace Inc. for P18.9 billion as part of the military’s modernization program. All the fighters are expected to be delivered by 2017.

Philippine Air Force commander Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado will lead the welcome of the jets. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has also been invited.

Delgado earlier rode one of the fighters during test flights in South Korea.

The FA-50, an upgraded version of KAI’s supersonic T-50 advance trainer jet, is expected to boost the Air Force’s capability to patrol the country’s airspace. However, the jets that will be delivered are not yet combat-ready.

A missile project intended for the aircraft was among the “big ticket items” suspended after Armed Forces chief of staff General Hernando Irriberi assumed his post.

The jets would bring back PAF into the realm of supersonic although these are not yet combat-ready. But the aircrafts would be a big boost to air capability especially in patrolling the country’s airspace.

The Department of National Defense has also yet to decide on which long range surveillance radar system to purchase to fit with the new fighters.

PAF spokesman Colonel Enrico Canaya said the two arriving fighters will be piloted by Korean airmen and will touch down around 10 a.m. Friday.

The jets will undergo a technical inspection, including an “acceptance flight,” before being formally turned over to the Air Force, Canaya said.

He added that it would take “months” for the Air Force to train pilots for the new jets.

Spain's Freire shipyard cuts steel on Indonesian Navy's training ship

Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - IHS Jane's Navy International
23 November 2015

Key Points

• Work has begun on a replacement for the Indonesian Navy's ageing barquentine
• The new vessel will provide capacity to accelerate the training of midshipmen, as new platforms arrive for the navy from 2017

Spanish shipbuilder Construcciones Navales Paulino Freire has formally begun work on a 111-m training ship on order for the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut, or TNI-AL), the service told IHS Jane's on 24 November.


An artist's rendering of the TNI-AL's new training ship, on order from Construcciones Navales Paulino Freire (Construcciones Navales Paulino Freire)

"A steel-cutting ceremony for the new training ship was held on 16 November in Vigo, Spain, and was attended by senior members of the navy involved in the acquisition project," said an official from the TNI-AL's communications office.

BAE, SAIC Named as Finalists in Marines ACV Competition

By Jen Judson 6:31 p.m. EST November 24, 2015

QUANTICO, Va. — BAE Systems and SAIC beat out three other manufacturers in a competition to build engineering and manufacturing development prototype vehicles for the Marine Corps' next-generation Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), which will ferry troops ashore and into battle, the service announced Tuesday.

BAE's contract is for $103.8 million, while SAIC's is for $121.5 million. Each company will build 16 eight-wheeled vehicles to be tested over the next two years to replace the Marine Corps' aging Vietnam-era amphibious assault vehicle. The service will then pick a winner in 2018 to deliver 204 vehicles by 2020.

The initial contract covers building 13 vehicles due to available funding and then the Marine Corps will exercise options to build three more vehicles.

The companies competing for contracts to build prototypes included Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, SAIC and Michigan-based Advanced Defense Vehicle Systems.

According to John Garner, Advanced Amphibious Assault program manager, some "subfactors" established in the request for proposals played out in the service's decision. Being able to operate well in water and on land were equal to requirements to carry personnel, as well as protection, he said, "so the intent was to balance the capabilities."

But he added, "We did have individual emphasis areas that would give extra credit, so to speak, all the other things being equal, and those emphasis areas were weighted toward the amphibious capabilities of the vehicle because there were some very capable ground vehicles out there, but fundamentally this vehicle has to be an amphibious vehicle."

The ACV 1.1 armored personnel carrier has been a long time coming and "will yield a balanced combination of performance protection and payload all at an affordable price," William Taylor, the Marine Corps' Land Systems program executive officer, told reporters prior to the award today.

"After a very rigorous and thorough evaluation of competitor proposals, the Marine Corps will be awarding contracts to companies who clearly offer the best value selections for the Marine Corps."

The winning companies will build the vehicles in 2016, and conduct "aggressive testing" in 2017 that will inform the Marine Corps development of requirements for its next iteration of the vehicle — ACV 1.2 — according to Col. Roger Turner, director of the Marine Corps' Capabilities Development Directorate. The Marine Corps will be able to refine what ACV 1.2 will look like and then "we will move out with the remainder of the program once we know what details of ACV 1.1 will yield," he added.

To analysts, the competition was wide open leading up to the downselect decision. Outwardly, the vehicles looked similar, and while there were differences all were expected to meet or surpass the Marine Corps' Amphibious Combat Vehicle 1.1 requirements released in April. Each vehicle would seat at least 10 Marines and their combat loads, handle 2-foot waves and cost about $7.5 million each.

ACV 1.1. has been met with criticism because it will likely be a displacement hull vehicle, meaning it bobs through the water at a low speed. Critics argue that slow-moving vehicles that must travel 100 miles to shore over the course of a few hours could be sitting ducks for enemies that can lob shore-based missiles at them in the water.

But the Marine Corps believes it's taking the right path, saying its priority is to build wheeled vehicles that are well suited to move quickly across land, where the majority of missions will take place.

There are plans to later add capability to vehicles beyond ACV 1.1. While it has not set requirements for a later tranche of vehicles, the Corps could decide to improve the ability to transport more robust weapon stations, better sensors and communications equipment, and tackle the water speed issue in those later iterations.

Air force to procure three helicopters for VVIPs

Rabu, 25 November 2015 12:59 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Air Force will buy three helicopters for very very important persons (VVIPs) as it has been included in the 2015-2019 Air Force strategic plan, stated Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Agus Supriatna.

"For the time being, we will use the strategic planning budget to buy three helicopters for the VVIP Air Squadron," Supriatna remarked at a gathering with mass media at the Wisma Angkasa building in South Jakarta on Tuesday night.

He noted that the plan to buy the three AW101 modern and sophisticated helicopters was purely the result of a study conducted by the VVIP Air Squadron and was further evaluated by the Military (TNI) Headquarters.

"This is the result of our study, and after a thorough assessment, I decided to buy the VVIP helicopters," the Air Force chief of staff affirmed.

Supriatna added that depending on the budget, the helicopters will include security features such as bulletproof body, anti-jamming devices, and anti-missile systems.

He emphasized that the purchase of the VVIP helicopters for the president, vice president, state officials, and guests of the country will prioritize safety and comfort.

He expressed hope that the first AW101 helicopter would arrive before April 9, 2016.(*)