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Industrial Cooperation: Honeywell to help RI for future challenges
Tim Van Luven (Courtesy of Honeywell Aerospace)Indonesia is prone to natural disasters especially volcanoes and earthquakes, such as what happened in Lombok and Palu recently
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Tim Van Luven (Courtesy of Honeywell Aerospace)
Indonesia is prone to natural disasters especially volcanoes and earthquakes, such as what happened in Lombok and Palu recently. The ongoing Indo Defense Expo and Forum sees various defense companies offering products that can also be used for non-military purposes. The Jakarta Post’s Novan Iman Santosa held an email interview with Tim van Luven, the vice president of defense after sales, Asia Pacific, for Honeywell Aerospace, on what the company can offer in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The following are excerpts from the interview:
Question: Indonesia is operating a fleet of C-130 Hercules aircraft for humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) and military operations other than war (MOOTW). How can Honeywell further enhance their present capabilities and be ready for future challenges?
Answer: Honeywell works closely with the Indonesian government to help support, maintain and modernize its existing fleet of aircraft. This includes offering an extensive array of maintenance services and technology upgrades that improve the operational efficiency, reliability, safety, and longevity of planes that assist with the country’s HADR efforts.
The Indonesian Air Force operates a mixture of legacy C-130 models and the civilian L-100 models. There is also a plan to buy the C-130J Super Hercules. With such a mixture, does Honeywell have the solution(s) to integrate, maintain and sustain the different models as well as to allow them to work seamlessly regardless of the model?
The C-130 has been in continuous production since the early 1950s — longer than any other military aircraft — with more than 2,500 aircraft built in more than 70 variants. Honeywell is able to provide modernization programs for many of these platform variants, including technology upgrades and life extension programs.
These enhancements are also a cost-effective way for Indonesia and other countries to continue meeting their evolving mission requirements with their current fleet of aircraft. Honeywell’s technologies that are capable of modernizing the C-130 include, among other things, avionic systems, weather radar, satellite communication, Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS), Traffic Collision and Avoidance Systems (TCAS), and Auxiliary Power Units (APU).
Indonesia also has other air assets such as NC-212 and CN-235/C-295 transport aircraft and Super Puma and Bell 412 helicopters. Is it possible to integrate these aircraft with the Hercules for HADR missions?
Honeywell is a key player in the global market and has the solutions for many of these platforms, and can provide Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems to integrate these assets and help make operations more efficient.
C4ISR technologies are capable of connecting all sensors and other data nodes that allow the military and humanitarian relief forces to gather and quickly analyze data. This allows the HADR and defense forces to receive, gather, process and distribute information effectively.
During the recent earthquake in Palu, Central Sulawesi, the airport tower was damaged, preventing aircraft from delivering much-needed supplies and assistance. Does Honeywell have a mobile ATC system that can be deployed during major disasters?
A good example was when Honeywell and Hughes Aerospace signed an agreement with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines in 2014 to develop Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) approaches for Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban.
These approaches were developed to improve aid, relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts for the Leyte region in Tacloban and its surrounding areas, following the catastrophic effects of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013.
The local communication system was also down as the power plants were affected by the earthquake, causing a total blackout. How can Honeywell assist in such a situation?
Honeywell’s satellite-based communications systems provide connectivity directly to the aircraft platform, and are independent from ground-based communications systems.
This allows for aircraft fitted with Honeywell satcom solutions to fly into disaster areas and provide Wi-Fi hotspots for emergency and relief services to enable data sharing, communication and coordination. Honeywell’s 40KVa generators onboard the C-130 also allows for the sharing of power with emergency and relief services on the ground.
Such major disasters also see the arrival of a huge number of aircraft delivering aid to the affected area, leading to congested air space. Is there anything Honeywell can offer in such a situation?
Flying and landing conditions can be dangerous during disaster relief operations because pilots often have to fly through busy skies and inclement weather.
These challenges are often intensified when landing in remote areas that may be obstructed by debris, or where no proper landing infrastructure is found.
Last but not least, Indonesia requires some local content and/or transfer of technology in the acquisition of any equipment and systems from foreign suppliers. How does Honeywell see the requirement?
Honeywell has a long-standing presence in Indonesia, and is committed to creating opportunities that can strengthen its defense force through local content and the transfer of technology and skills. It continues to engage and work closely with the government to understand its defense needs, while expanding its operations to incorporate localized aftermarket support.
