Australia denies trying to 'recruit' Indonesian soldiers





SYDNEY: Australia on Thursday (Jan 5) rejected claims it tried to "recruit" Indonesia's best soldiers as it worked to mend relations with Jakarta after military ties were suspended.

The two neighbours revealed Wednesday military cooperation had been put on ice last month after teaching materials deemed offensive to Jakarta were found at an Australian army base.

Cooperation including joint exercises and education and exchange programmes were halted after a visiting Indonesian officer raised concerns about the materials.

Authorities did not say what caused offence but the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said it related to posters of West Papua, an eastern Indonesian province where a low-level insurgency has been simmering for decades.



The ABC also broadcast footage Thursday of Indonesia's military chief General Gatot Nurmantyo giving a lecture in November, voicing fears Canberra was trying to recruit soldiers sent to Australia for training.

"Every time there is a training programme -- like recently -- the best five or 10 students would be sent to Australia. That happened before I was chief so I let that happen," he said in translated remarks, according to the broadcaster.

"Once I became chief commander of the national forces, it did not happen again. They will certainly be recruited. They will certainly be recruited."

Australian Defence Minister Marise Payne denied Canberra had targeted Indonesian soldiers to be potential agents.

"No, that is not the case and it is something which we would not countenance of course," she said.

Payne added to the ABC that an investigation into the teaching materials that sparked the bilateral row was almost complete and Canberra took the concerns seriously.

"We are working closely with our counterparts both at the military and at the political level to rectify any concerns, to address any concerns and to resume the relationship in its entirety as soon as possible," she said.



Indonesian newspaper Kompas said the row erupted after a visiting special forces instructor found teaching materials he deemed disrespectful towards his country's armed forces, as well as materials he thought insulted Indonesia's founding philosophy of "Pancasila".

The ABC reported that the instructor had complained about training posters of West Papua displayed at the Australian Special Forces base in the western city of Perth last November.

Papua's independence movement enjoys support among activists abroad, including in Australia. Indonesia keeps tight control over the area and is sensitive about any perceived attempts by foreign governments or NGOs to intervene.



It is the latest falling out between the key allies and neighbours, whose relationship has been beset in recent years by disputes over Jakarta's execution of Australian drug smugglers and Canberra's hardline policy of turning migrant boats back to Indonesia.

Payne said the row had not impacted Indonesia's cooperation on Australia's policy on boat people or their joint work tackling extremists linked to the so-called Islamic State group.

- AFP/rw

like this also can , u can't stop ur nation migrate to others country

last time they also said we 'recruit' their citizen to joint Wataniah just because the found some Wataniah can speak Javanese..hahahah

Gripen E for Malaysia

Marhalim Abas January 10, 2017 Malaysia - RMAF

SHAH ALAM: Gripen E for Malaysia. Back in October, the Defence Minister seemed to confirm that the MRCA selection was down to either the Typhoon or Rafale. However, due to the economic uncertainties, the decision for the MRCA was likely to be made by 2020.

At the same function, he also said the other candidates – the Super Hornet and Gripen (and also strangely, Sukhoi) were not being considered for the MRCA project. However since the green light for the MRCA is three years away (which include a general election which must be called by 2018), we can be sure that marketing for all of the fighters named will continue.

    “By the year 2020 we have to make a decision on the [purchase of the] MRCAs. It’s an open secret that we are looking at either the [Dassault] Rafale, or the [BAE Systems’] Typhoon from the UK, but we don’t have to make the decision now. What we need to do is look at the affordability, and that depends on [the state of] our economy,” he said
    Hishammuddin also explained in the same press conference why Typhoon and Rafale were the final candidates.
    “There are other reasons why we did not look at the [latest] Sukhois, [Boeing F/A-18] Hornets and the Gripen, which is a Swedish plane, but the most important [factor] is that whatever we do, we must be able to explain to the public,” Hishammuddin said.

However, as funding for the programm remained hazy, the marketing for the MRCA will be a much smaller much like the stealth campaign ran during the 2005 to 2010 period. So whats this got to do with the Gripen E then? For more on Gripen E go here.

As you might be aware Saab had offered the C/D model together with the AEW package for the MRCA programme. They offered the C/D models as the E was not yet available. Now, with the MRCA programme pushed back to 2020, Saab’s offer now involved 18 of the E/F models. The new offer was made late last year to the Defence Ministry, industry sources told Malaysian Defence.

If selected, I am told, deliveries will take place after Sweden and Brazil, the two countries which had already signed the contract for the aircraft. During the launch of the E, it was reported that both countries will receive their first aircraft in 2019 so if we buy them it is possible for us to get our first by early 2021 (depending on various other circumstances of course).

As Saab is pursuing other opportunities, there is also the possibility that the delivery could be made beyond that. So why is Saab still pursuing the MRCA deal even though it is obvious that RMAF wants something else? Because, Saab thinks the Gripen is the most affordable for us – even in better times.

For example, Brazil is paying US$4.68 billion for 36 Gripen Es. The cost for 18 Es will be around US$2 billion, much cheaper than the other two engine alternatives. Furthermore, there is no need for RMAF to buy new weapons for these aircraft (just like Typhoon and Super Hornets) as the missiles, rockets and bombs in its inventory are already cleared and operational on the Gripen (it will be cleared for the E as well).

Acknowledging, the economic circumstances, the E offer does not include the AEW or even the MSA aircraft. Saab will likely offer them in a separate deal. In the meantime, Saab’s offer to lease C/D models to RMAF pending deliveries of the E, is still valid.

So that is considered bad, right? Since earlier all speculated Rafale might be coming to MY.

So that is considered bad, right? Since earlier all speculated Rafale might be coming to MY.

So that is considered bad, right? Since earlier all speculated Rafale might be coming to MY.

bad in terms of?
gripen is also a very capable aircraft nothing wrong with that
they also the only one company that can offer lease option

BAE is also offering Eurofighter Typhoon lease to Malaysia.
BAE to offer Eurofighter lease to Malaysia

bad in terms of?
gripen is also a very capable aircraft nothing wrong with that
they also the only one company that can offer lease option

i still in favor for more SU30..

Its to replace the aging M29, how come trade in hornet ?