Defence

Indonesia is poised to take delivery of its first of six new Sukhoi Su-27/30 fighters in September, with the country's defence and finance ministries having finalised a funding package for the purchase.

Jakarta ordered three Su-27s and three Su-30s in 2007 as part of a $355 million deal, with these to bolster the two aircraft of each type that it bought in 2003. It will receive the new Su-30s this year and the Su-27s in 2009, with the aircraft to be delivered with full weapons systems, unlike the initial batch.

The new deliveries will allow the Indonesian air force to form a fleet of the type to replace its McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks in 2009.

© Vladamir Karnozov

In early August, Indonesia also received six Russian-made Mil Mi-17-V assault helicopters that it ordered in 2003, with this deal providing further evidence that Moscow has supplanted the USA as Jakarta's main arms supplier. Late last year, Russia said it would finance a $1.2 billion arms package to support Indonesia's acquisition of 22 attack and transport helicopters and air-launched weapons for the Sukhois, plus 20 amphibious tanks and two submarines.

Indonesia's Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs, Northrop F-5s and A-4s are testimony to the South-East Asian country's historically close relations with Washington. That changed when the USA imposed an arms embargo in 1992, and tightened in 1999, after Indonesian soldiers killed East Timorese pro-independence demonstrators. As a result, its air force had to ground many aircraft due to spares shortages.

Last year, both countries resumed talks on possible weapons sales. Washington has proposed a deferred instalment payment scheme that would allow Indonesia to buy six Block 50/52 F-16C/Ds to be delivered from 2010, and upgrade six of its airworthy F-16A/Bs to the enhanced standard. This would enable Jakarta to stand-up an F-16 squadron to replace its F-5s by 2014.