JAKARTA: Indonesia could purchase four more units of Airbus’ A400M military transport aircraft, President Prabowo Subianto said on Monday (Nov 3), as he seeks to upgrade his country’s ageing arsenal.
Prabowo was speaking to reporters at a military airbase in Jakarta, where the first of two A400M airlifters that the Indonesian defence ministry had already bought arrived.
“We might negotiate to sign (a deal) for four more units,” the president said, without providing a timeline.
Under a 2021 contract, Indonesia is set to receive its second A400M multi-role tanker transport aircraft next year.
Prabowo said that while the A400M would be mostly used to evacuate injured victims of disasters, it could also take part in humanitarian missions overseas, giving the example of the Gaza Strip.
“I ordered the Indonesian military to add more medical battalions, which not only support disasters in the country, but can also be present during humanitarian crises elsewhere,” said the president.
The A400M delivered to Indonesia can carry a maximum payload of 37 tonnes, including helicopters, vehicles and relief supplies, according to Airbus.
For an average mission carrying 30 tonnes, the A400M can fly 2,400 nautical miles, covering the entire archipelago from the capital Jakarta.
It can also be converted into a water bomber aircraft, capable of dropping up to 20,000 litres of retardant or water in a single pass, a useful feature in Indonesia where forest fires are frequent.
Prabowo, a former general who served as Indonesia’s defence minister before winning the presidential election last year, has vowed to revamp the military’s ageing equipment.
In July, Indonesia signed a contract with Turkey to buy 48 Kaan fighter jets.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-buy-airbus-military-aircraft-a400m-prabowo-5442316
