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Security chief eyes Japanese amphibious aircraft
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Close talk -- Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto (left) talks with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati (right) prior to an inauguration ceremony for new Cabinet ministers at the State Palace in Jakarta on July 27. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)
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oordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto has shown an interest in purchasing Japanese US-2 amphibious aircraft, highlighting Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening its bilateral defense cooperation with the East Asian country.
Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Yasuaki Tanizaki offered Indonesia the opportunity to acquire amphibious aircraft from Japan during his meeting at the security chief’s office in Jakarta on Friday.
In the meeting, Wiranto and Tanizaki discussed the follow-up steps to a defense cooperation agreement signed by the foreign and defense ministers of both countries in Tokyo last December.
"The offer is quite interesting, especially considering the fact that Indonesia is a maritime nation. Our territory is covered mostly by water," Wiranto said.
He further said the amphibious aircraft could benefit Indonesia because they were multi-purpose in nature. The aircraft could potentially assist personnel in tackling forest fires, which often occur in regions across the country during the dry season.
Wiranto said the US-2 aircraft could be modified to extinguish forest fires because they could land on sea to collect water and then later spray the water over burning forests.
The senior minister has yet to reveal how many US-2 units Indonesia might procure from Japan, or when the agreement on the purchase will be signed. (ebf)
