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everal legislators have expressed opposition to the government’s plan to purchase Israeli-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), saying that the plan was never discussed at the House of Representatives (DPR).

They demanded that the government review the plan and meet with them to discuss the issue.

“We have never been asked for consultation on that matter,” said Islam-based National Awakening Party (PKB) politician Effendy Choirie, a member of the House Commission I overseeing defense and security affairs.

Effendy said that despite having no approval from the House, the Indonesian Air Force has built infrastructure to support the UAVs, including maintenance facilities at the Supadio Airbase in Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

Commission I chairman Mahfudz Siddiq of Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said the Defense Ministry planned to buy at least nine UAVs to boost patrols along the Malaysian border in Kalimantan. He added the commission had not approved the plan.

Mahfudz said that the UAVs would be operated by the Air Force, in coordination with the Army’s Intelligence Agency (BAIS).

He said that the Indonesian Military (TNI) had once operated locally made MK II aircraft, which was later considered flawed.

The Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) has developed such aircraft, but it is still under assessment.

Mahfudz said that the Defense Ministry had yet to decide whether it would purchase the aircraft from Israel, France, Britain or the Philippines. He urged the ministry not to purchase UAVs from Israel.

“Israel is a country with a poor human rights record. It is still embroiled in disputes with neighboring countries,” he said. “Beside that, Indonesia does not have any diplomatic relations with Israel. The situation puts the country in a difficult position, especially when we need to procure spare parts for the UAV.”

Commission deputy chairman TB Hasanuddin said that the commission would discuss the UAV procurement within the next week.

Effendy questioned the ministry’s plan to purchase UAVs from Israel.

“Brokers who have become the fourth force in the TNI will likely mark up the procurement project to benefit generals,” he said, adding that the absence of bilateral ties with Israel would see Indonesia receive Israeli-made UAVs via South Korea.

Helmy Fauzi, a commission member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that his faction had opposed the overseas procurement plan because such aircraft could be produced at home.

“The empowerment of the domestic defense industry will not only improve efficiency but also improve the country’s image and generate more jobs to ease unemployment,” he said, citing Malaysia had procured aircraft from Bandung.

Air Force spokesman Commodore Azman Yunus denied that there was a procurement plan. He said the Air Force never planned to buy such UAVs — let alone from Israel. He then questioned the credibility of the lawmakers’ information.

He said that the Air Force was focused on completing the procurement of 24 F-16 fighter jets from the US and six Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia.

“Even if the Air Force needed to procure some UAVs, it would prefer to buy them from domestic producers,” he told The Jakarta Post. (rpt)