ID :
21275
Fri, 09/26/2008 - 00:10
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/21275
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THREE SUKHOI JET FIGHTERS TO BE ASSEMBLED IN MAKASSAR
Jakarta, Sept 25 (ANTARA) - Indonesian airforce chief of staff Marshal Subandrio said here on Thursday that three new Sukhoi jet fighters scheduled to arrive in CKD condition in Indonesia in October 2008 would be assembled at Sultan Hasanuddin airbase in Makassar.
During a visit to Squadron 11 of the air base, he said actually the planes would be assembled at Iswahyudi airbase in Madiun, East Java, like the previous four others, but it was later decided that they would be assembled at Sultan Hasanuddin airbase in Makassar.
"In the beginning, they would be assembled in Madiun considering that if it was done in the Sultan Hasanuddin airbase it could disturb civilian flights at the Sultan Hasanuddin airport which is located near the base," he said.
However it was later decided to do it at the Sultan Hasanuddin airbase because of the airbase's readiness as a Sukhoi fighter squadron base.
In response to the decision, the chief of the airforce's Operation Command II, air commodore Yushan Sayuti, said the airbase had been prepared to become the home base of Sukhois including their landing strip that would also be capable of accommodating an Antonov transport plane that would fly the planes from Russia.
"Eighty percent of its new hangar has also been completed leaving only electrical instalations and some of its front yard costing around Rp4.5 billion," Marshal Subandrio said.
The Russian Sukhoi maker on August 21 2007 announced it would sell six Sukhoi jet fighters to Indonesia worth US$300 million.
The six Sukhois include three SU-30 MK2 and three SU-27 SKM to add to the four Sukhois that had been acquired by the airforce since September 2003.
The memorandum of understanding for the procurement of the six Sukhois was signed at the Moscow Airshow on August 21 2007.
Based on the MOU, the price of the six aircraft reached US$355 million.
Three of them complete with their arms are expected to arrive this year while the other three in 2009.
The planes would replace the A-4 Skyhawks based at Squadron 11 in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
The purchase of the six Sulhois is not included in the credit scheme provided by the Russian government worth US$1 billion for modernizing the country's weaponry in 2007-2010.
The three Indonesian Sukhoi pilots that have just concluded training in Russia are already back. They are Major Ikoputro, Major Dedy Ilham Suryanto and Major David YOhan Tamboto.
Besides preparing the infrastructure, the airforce has also prepared eight other Sukhoi pilots known as "Flankers."
During a visit to Squadron 11 of the air base, he said actually the planes would be assembled at Iswahyudi airbase in Madiun, East Java, like the previous four others, but it was later decided that they would be assembled at Sultan Hasanuddin airbase in Makassar.
"In the beginning, they would be assembled in Madiun considering that if it was done in the Sultan Hasanuddin airbase it could disturb civilian flights at the Sultan Hasanuddin airport which is located near the base," he said.
However it was later decided to do it at the Sultan Hasanuddin airbase because of the airbase's readiness as a Sukhoi fighter squadron base.
In response to the decision, the chief of the airforce's Operation Command II, air commodore Yushan Sayuti, said the airbase had been prepared to become the home base of Sukhois including their landing strip that would also be capable of accommodating an Antonov transport plane that would fly the planes from Russia.
"Eighty percent of its new hangar has also been completed leaving only electrical instalations and some of its front yard costing around Rp4.5 billion," Marshal Subandrio said.
The Russian Sukhoi maker on August 21 2007 announced it would sell six Sukhoi jet fighters to Indonesia worth US$300 million.
The six Sukhois include three SU-30 MK2 and three SU-27 SKM to add to the four Sukhois that had been acquired by the airforce since September 2003.
The memorandum of understanding for the procurement of the six Sukhois was signed at the Moscow Airshow on August 21 2007.
Based on the MOU, the price of the six aircraft reached US$355 million.
Three of them complete with their arms are expected to arrive this year while the other three in 2009.
The planes would replace the A-4 Skyhawks based at Squadron 11 in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
The purchase of the six Sulhois is not included in the credit scheme provided by the Russian government worth US$1 billion for modernizing the country's weaponry in 2007-2010.
The three Indonesian Sukhoi pilots that have just concluded training in Russia are already back. They are Major Ikoputro, Major Dedy Ilham Suryanto and Major David YOhan Tamboto.
Besides preparing the infrastructure, the airforce has also prepared eight other Sukhoi pilots known as "Flankers."
