After a series of crashes involving military transport President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has ordered the Indonesia Military to evaluate its air transport system and aircraft fleets to ensure their safety.

Seven military aircraft have crashed so far this year, killing 83 military officers.

Speaking to the press before a public campaign event in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, on Saturday, the President said a team would be established not only to carry out a thorough investigation into an Air Force chopper crash at the Atang Sanjaya Airbase in Cilangkap, Bogor, on Friday, but to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of all military aircraft. Friday's crash was the second of its kind in less than a week.

"The team is still being set up. As it was done with the increasing crashes of commercial aircraft two years ago, I set up a national team to conduct an evaluation and thank God, civilian aviation is now in a good condition. Maintenance, training, education and leadership will all be examined as part of the evaluation," he said.

He said the evaluation, which will involve military aircraft experts, will give recommendations as to what the military and the government should do to improve the safety of military aviation.

During the comprehensive evaluation, all aircraft, except those in regular operation, will be grounded.

In the past two months five military aircraft, including two choppers, have crashed in accidents in Papua, Bandung, Madiun, Cianjur and Bogor.

In the most recent incident, which killed four soldiers, an Air Force Puma helicopter crashed during a test fl ight just after repairs had been carried out.

The series of accidents has raised concern among legislators at the House of Representatives, who are urging the government to scrap all old war ships and aircraft and raise the defense budget.

"The House has asked the government to double the defense budget but the latter allocated only Rp 33 trillion (US$3.2 billion) while the minimum defense budget should be more than Rp 130 trillion," Chairman of the House Commission I onDefense,InformationandForeign Affairs Theo Sambuaga said Saturday.

Commander of the Atang Sanjaya Airbase Com. Bambang Agus Margono said the crash could possibly be attributed to the small maintenance budget allocated to the Air Force. He however, gave his assurance that his subordinates do not "cannibalize" (replace parts of one aircraft with those of another) when repairing helicopters.

"The current budget cannot cover the whole cost of maintenance," he said after the burial of Chief Sgt. Catur Heli, a technician who died in the crash, at the Dreded Hero Cemetery in Bogor.

The body of Maj. Sobiq Fanani, who piloted the chopper, was buried in a military ceremony in his hometown of Magelang, Central Java, while the two other victims, First Lt. Wisnu and First Sgt. Catur Doli, were buried in their hometowns in Subang and Solo, on Saturday.

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