Asian Air Power – Indonesia

Obviously, a nation of islands requires air and sea transport to function economically and politically as a unitary body; there is also the need to secure and patrol both the island and the vast EEZ of Indonesia. The armed forces of Indonesia are therefore tasked with a vast array of duties – defence, security, anti-terrorism, EEZ patrol, garrisoning of disputed and rebel-harbouring territories, civil aid, public administration and ‘nation-building’. The Indonesian Air Force covers all these roles.

The variety of roles which the Indonesian Air Force plays ensures that it is a large force in terms of personnel; it is also a ‘labour-intensive’ force with a fairly low level of technical skills. C-in-C Murdani recently noted that whereas Singapore requires 7000 personnel to operate 150-160 aircraft, Indonesia has 100 aircraft and 27,000 personnel.

The problem of lack of trained technicians plagues all developing nations. Indonesia is perhaps in a better position to rectify this situation than most. Indonesia is enjoying a period of relative prosperity through oil revenue, good harvests and substantial foreign investment. Indonesia also has PT Nurtanio.

PT Nurtanio is one of a number of state-run defence-related enterprises its speciality is aviation. With 11,000 employees Nurtanio has signed co-production agreements in the last ten years with US Bell Textron for local production of the Model 412 helicopter, with West Germany’s MBB for the Bo-105 helicopter, with France’s Aerospatiale for the SA. 330J and SA. 332 Super Puma, and with Spain’s CASA for production of the C-212 and CN-235 medium transports. Nurtanio has also found export markets for these co-produced aircraft: Thailand has ordered forty NC-212s for its air force and army; civilian orders for the NC-212 have come from Argentina, Pakistan, Burma and Bangladesh; and helicopter orders have included Saudi Arabia and other Middle East states.

The success of PT Nurtanio has led the Indonesian military leadership to insist that the enterprise play a much greater role in the maintenance work of armed forces equipment. The enterprise is therefore integrated into the armed forces to a far greater extent than exists in other nations.

The Indonesian Air Force is now truly in the modern age of aviation. However, it must be remembered that the service has undergone considerable difficulties in reaching this present stage and the problems of the past are not so far away. With the postSukarno break with Moscow, the Indonesian Air Force’s Soviet-supplied aircraft were grounded for want of spares; as a consequence, the air force had to fall back on aged P-51 Mustangs and B-26 Invaders of early independence days. Later the new regime received ex-RAAF CAC Sabres but low maintenance skills and problems with spare parts organisation meant that even during the Indonesian take-over of East Timorin 1975, a venerable B-26 was used in support of the Indonesian army. This. is now something of the recent past.

With fifteen F-5s and 31 A-4s, the Indonesian front-line aircraft are truly in the jet age and the problems for now and in the future will be range of operations and bases.

Base development for all the services of the armed forces is now becoming a priority in Indonesia. A decision was made last year to develop three new major air bases: one will cover Indonesia’s western approaches; one will be built on Sulawesi to cover the centre and north; and a third will be built in Lrian Jaya province (West New Guinea). The Indonesian Air Force has also taken over the former Pertamina Oil Corporation airfield in Natuna Besar island (claimed also by Vietnam) to provide patrol facilities over the disputed EEZ in this area.

To further facilitate patrols an existing airfield at Pekanbaru (Sumatra) is being upgraded to take A-4 Skyhawks. The Indonesian Navy is (through Australian Defence Aid) having Nomad 100 hour maintenance facilities established at Tanjung Pinang (Riau Island) and Manado (North Sulawesi); existing airfields at these sites are being upgraded as are harbour facilities. The aim of all these moves is to increase air cover and patrol for Kowilhan 1 (First Defence Territory) which includes Sumatran and Kalimantan (Borneo) oilfields and oil exploration areas.

To increase the range of the A-4s Indonesia has purchased three C-130 in-flight refuelling tankers. To increase the range of airborne patrols (and thereby supplement naval air patrols), Indonesia has purchased three ‘Surveiller’ Boeing 737-200 aircraft fitted with Side-Looking Airborne Modular Multi-Mission Radar in fins on the upper rear fuselage. From cruising altitude, these aircraft will be able to identify small vessels up to 90 nautical miles on either side. The first of these aircraft has been tested in Indonesia and has now returned to the United States prior to final delivery.

With the development of new bases, in-flight refuelling facilities and patrol aircraft with greater range and time-on-station the capabilities of the Indonesian Air Force will be greatly enhanced.

Expansion of PT Nurtanio’s activities also will ultimately ensure expansion, modernisation and greater technical competence available to the airforce. Thus the Indonesian Air Force is in a state of transition to true modernity underpinned by greater technical self-reliance.