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Jokowi must prove commitment to domestic defense industry
Jokowi should have an easier job developing the local defense industry than previous presidents. All he has to do is ensure that all ministries and state agencies – not just the Defense Ministry and the TNI – buy their defense and security equipment locally.
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Indonesian Military (TNI) soldiers stand guard in Glodok, West Jakarta, in this file photo. (The Jakarta Post/Wendra Ajistyatama)
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ndonesia’s bid to modernize its military’s primary weapons system (alutsista), both to replace aging weaponry and keep up with regional dynamics, took a new turn last week.
Early on Tuesday, the United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) made a surprise announcement that the US State Department had approved the sale of eight MV-22 Block C Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to Indonesia, as well as the corresponding systems, spare parts and training. The deal is worth approximately US$2 billion.
The DSCA’s announcement means that Indonesia had formally sent a request sometime in the past, although it is unclear when or for which service or unit.
The announcement came not long after Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto visited Moscow on June 23. Prabowo held talks with Russian Defense Deputy Minister Alexander Formin and attended the Victory Day parade, which marked the end of World War II in Europe – or the Great Patriotic War in Russian parlance.
The choice of the Osprey is surprising because of its reliability and safety problems, having been involved in various fatal crashes. The aircraft, jointly produced by Bell and Boeing, however, does offer a unique capability.
A tiltrotor is a hybrid aircraft that can take off and land vertically, like a helicopter and, while underway, can fly as fast and as far as a turboprop airplane. The Osprey achieves this capability by tilting its engines, which are placed on the tips of its wings.
With a top speed of about 500 kilometers per hour, the Osprey flies twice the speed of the fastest helicopters that the Indonesian Military (TNI) uses. The Osprey’s range – some 1,600 km – is also an advantage that suits the TNI’s needs.
