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View all search resultsNew armaments aim to defend sovereignty, says Prabowo
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President Prabowo Subianto stands with an Air Force officer next to a Rafale fighter jet during a handover ceremony on May 18 for six Rafale fighter jets, one Airbus A400M military aircraft and four Dassault Falcon 8X military aircraft at Halim Perdanakusuma air base, in East Jakarta. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto symbolically handed on Monday replica keys to new armaments over to the military as a means to defend Indonesian sovereignty amid shifting geopolitical realities.
In a ceremony at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta, Prabowo handed over six French-made Rafale fighter jets, four Falcon 8X business jets and one Thales mobile long-range radar system, along with one Airbus A400M heavy transport aircraft, to the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Agus Subiyanto.
Describing the procurement of the new armaments as one of milestones in the efforts to increase defense posture, Prabowo said the country “must continue to strengthen [its] defense capabilities to serve as a deterrent”.
“We do not have any interests other than protecting our own territory. We observe that global geopolitics is fraught with uncertainty, and we know a defense [system] is a primary requirement for stability and defending our sovereignty,” he told a press conference at the event.
In the ceremony, Prabowo unveiled the logo of the 12th Squadron, known as “Black Panther”, on one of Dassault Rafale 4.5 generation fighter jets designed for modern combat.
The 12th Squadron, based in Pekanbaru, Riau, will operate all the six jets, Air Force spokesperson Air Cdre. Nyoman Suadnyana told The Jakarta Post.
The jet’s long combat radius will allow the Air Force to patrol large areas including Indonesia’s Natuna Sea, which borders the highly disputed South China Sea, while its long ferry range allows for quick redeployment between islands or airbases during crises.
