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US transport aircraft forced down in Aceh
The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) on Monday forced down an aircraft believed to be a US military transport aircraft for entering Indonesian airspace without proper clearances
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he Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) on Monday forced down an aircraft believed to be a US military transport aircraft for entering Indonesian airspace without proper clearances.
Intercepted at about 2 p.m., the twin turboprop Dornier 328 was flying from Maldives to Singapore via Sri Lanka.
'We managed to detect its presence in our airspace thanks to our radar at the Lhok Seumawe Air Force Base,' the Sultan Iskandar Muda Air Force Base commander, Col. Supriabu, told reporters in Banda Aceh.
He said that once the US military aircraft was detected on its radar screen, the TNI AU contacted the aircraft and requested for its clearances. As the aircraft did not have any clearances, the aircraft was ordered to land at the Sultan Iskandar Muda airport in Banda Aceh.
Because it followed the order to land, Supriabu said it was not necessary to scramble TNI AU jet fighters to intercept the aircraft.
'Any military aircraft passing through our airspace must have two clearances issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Indonesian Military [TNI] headquarters respectively,' said Supriabu.
TNI AU personnel checked the aircraft with tail number 13075 to ensure it was not carrying certain goods.
'It is a transport aircraft belonging to the US military with a 5-person crew. They were not allowed to leave the airplane for any reason before their clearances were issued by the TNI headquarters and Foreign Affairs Ministry in Jakarta,' Supriabu said.
After questioning the crew, the commander said the crew had indeed planned to land in Banda Aceh for refuelling but the aircraft was forced down because it did not have any clearances.
'This is related to our country's sovereignty. Any aircraft, let alone a military one, passing our airspace has to have clearances,' he said.
'The aircraft is being impounded until its intentions for entering our airspace are clear.'
The aircraft is still parked at the airport pending its clearances.
While the TNI AU claims the aircraft is a US military aircraft, it does not have the US military roundel nor US civilian registration.
The only registration is its tail number, 13075, without any additional markings.
