Nov. 3, Online

The Eurofighter Consortium will be showcasing the Eurofighter Typhoon, claimed to be one of the world'€™s most advanced fast-jet fighters, at the 2014 Indo Defense exhibition in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, from Nov. 5 to 8.

Eurofighter decided to take part in Indo Defense, a biannual defense and military exhibition, because it believed the Eurofighter Typhoon could be the best solution for Indonesia, stated the company'€™s press release, which was made available to The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Your comments:

This high technology can indeed do the work of hundreds of ordinary soldiers. But no machine can do the work of one extraordinary warrior.

So appreciate our own values and never let ourselves become the tools of their tools.

Fussion B.

The greatest thing about this is the recognition that Indonesia is now a nation to be reckoned with! Their perception is that we now have the money and the skills necessary to own and maintain these fighter aircraft, not a bunch of corrupt and greedy generals who will pocket the defense allocations.

Most countries that opted for the F-35 did so to please the US (like Japan, Singapore, etc.); they want to get close and cozy with the US for economic reasons! What Indonesia needs is something that will equal all the sophistication and big-sounding words of the US plane makers and government!

I am very happy that Eurofighter is coming to Indonesia; even if it does not make a sale, its presence will boost our morale and create an awareness that Indonesia has risen to the occasion!

Pauloh

F-35 tend to go cheaper on every batch they produce, and I will always believe the logistical support, maintenance depot and industrial offset they have offered to Indonesia is much more interesting than the Sukhois.

Mado Kaichi

It is not a bad option if the choice comes down to Eurofighter, though I personally want the SU-35 as the F-5 Tiger replacement. The transfer technology is the key factor here in the decision. Indonesia needs a knowledge boost to improve KFX/IFX 4+ gen joint cooperation programs, moreover KFX engine performance is less than that of the Eurofighter, and we hope that Eurofighter double-jet engines could also be applied to IFX  (Indonesian version of KFX).  

In terms of fifth-generation fighter jets, Indonesia should choose the Sukhoi T50 PAK FA over the F-35. Never ever again put the eggs in the same basket.

We Indonesians are thankful to our government, which has bought the flanker Sukhoi family. We are sure they have quality.

Santos Hawijaya

Considering that most of Indonesia is water, the doctrine of layered defense would indicate that any invading forces would be stopped, or degraded by air and sea power. Land forces are the last line of defense, unless the military has floating and flying tanks/artillery.

Colin Anderson

I have no idea why Indonesia would choose the Lockheed Martin F-35, particularly when it has access to a far superior fighter in the Sukhoi. The F-35 is riddled with development problems with reports as recently as June 2104 that appropriate software crucial to delivering on the promised capabilities of the F-35, operating its advanced navigation, communications and targeting systems is not yet developed.

Noone

This is actually a very problematic area with high levels of secrecy surrounding the equipment and no shortage of experts. There is also the difference between the version produced for the host country and the export version. The other major factor is the use people want to make of the equipment. For Australia there is a lot of advantage in having compatibility with the US because of the alliance. Indonesia'€™s needs may be entirely different.

Jagera

Our military should certainly streamline its armory and not mix and match hardware and equipment from various countries around the world as if one is collecting stamps.

That is to say, if we were to choose Russia or whatever states it might be as our primary arms supplier then we should stick with them, especially if we are going to make big purchases.

You might think it would be cool to see Su-25, F-16, and Typhoon or Apache, Hind and Lynx flying side by side, but in the long run, as our force grows, the supply and logistics problem would be a great nightmare, and certainly expensive too.

There'€™s a reason for example why the Indian Air Force uses only Russian planes as its mainstay fighters and interceptors, or why South Korea uses US-built planes. Not only because they are a traditional ally but they want to maximize efficiency and streamline things. Yes, it'€™s not as fun as choosing the plane itself, but time after time, these small things have really been proven as essential and even decisive.

The next step is to consider domestic options, because after all, whatever country you choose, you don'€™t want to be dependent on them. China has clearly been successful in this last step while India is following suit. We have to eventually accept that a strong domestic arms manufacturer must be established.

Vader Z Wei

Topic of the day

Jokowi'€™s three cards

President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo has launched three cards to help the poor '€” the Prosperous Family Saving Card, Indonesian Health Card and Indonesian Smart Card '€” as his government plans to increase fuel prices. What do you think?

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