A

privately-run company based in Surabaya, East Java, is ready to export avionic system devices, thanks to its success in developing devices considered reliable for testing the endurance of the avionic systems of a jet fighter.

PT Infoglobal Teknologi Semesta (ITS) has developed two devices by modifying a rice milling machine and a bread toaster, respectively, claiming that these devices are capable of performing vibration tests and heater tests of the avionic systems found on board the British Aerospace-made Hawk 100 and Hawk 200.

“We are ready to export our avionic-system products that will be used to upgrade the 18 Hawk 100 and 200 jet fighters belonging to the Malaysian air force,” ITS CEO Johannes Adi Sasongko said on Thursday.

He assured that the vibration and heater test devices made aviation-system products compatible in the global market. ITS also hoped to export other products to Malaysia, including a multi-purpose display (MPD), digital video recorder (DVR), heads-up display monitor (Hudson) and a radar display unit (RDU).

The first two devices are used in the Hawk 100 and 200 jet fighters, while the Hudson is only for the Hawk 100 and the RDU is only used in the Hawk 200.

The devices have been used in 10 Hawk 100/200 fighters belonging to the Indonesian Air Force. The devices reportedly surprised British Aerospace during the Singapore Air Show recently.

The development of devices, according to Johannes, is expected to meet the Indonesian Hawk squadron’s need for spare parts, thus averting their premature grounding.

“We felt challenged to help ‘upgrade’ our own jet fighter facilities despite all the limitations that we have,” he said.

PT Sari Bahari in Malang, East Java has had similar success. Previously producing car and motorcycle exhaust systems, the company has now managed to produce bombs — both for battle and practice — for the sophisticated Sukhoi 27SK and 30MK jet fighters.

“In the near future, we will start exporting 522 70 mm smoke warhead rockets [smoke bombs] for the Chilean air force,” PT Sari Bahari owner Ricky Hendrik Egam said.

The company, Ricky said, has been entrusted by Armaco, a Bulgarian bomb producer, to be its partner in Indonesia since March. As such, PT Sari Bahari was given a guarantee to benefit from technology transfers from Armaco in the manufacturing of fuses.

“The fuse is the most vital part of a bomb. If we can produce our own fuses, then we will no longer be dependent on other countries to meet with our need for bombs, rockets, missiles and torpedoes for submarines. Indonesia should be proud about this,” Ricky said.

He said Indonesia used to produce only bullets with limited calibers, bomb casings, warheads and ammunition fillings.