Speaking on the sidelines of the aircraft arrival ceremony at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta on Monday, Prabowo said the A400M’s large carrying capacity means that it is “very capable” of supporting medical evacuation and disaster relief operations.

“This aircraft is very capable,” Prabowo said, responding to journalists’ questions about the possibility of deploying the aircraft for humanitarian missions in Gaza, such as for transporting food aid. “But I believe this [aircraft] will have a greater impact or role in evacuating the injured, including those who need surgery, and so on”.

To implement that, the President said he had ordered the Indonesian Military (TNI) to equip the aircraft with in-flight medical and surgical modules, and to increase the number of medical battalions in the TNI for future deployments.

“These health battalions will not only support disasters within the national territory, but if a humanitarian emergency occurs anywhere [internationally], we can also be present," he said.

Read also: Indonesia's first A400 arrives at Halim airfield

Since taking office last year, Prabowo has repeatedly expressed Indonesia’s commitment to aiding Palestine. The country currently deploys a medical team in Gaza in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).