Indonesia promotes domestic military production

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 11/24/2009 12:55 PM

Users and makers of Indonesian weapon systems will again sit together Tuesday at a series of workshops organized by the Defense Ministry, aiming to empower the country's strategic industries in fulfilling domestic needs from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and police.

The first session of the workshop was held Wednesday in which users outlined their needs especially in systems and equipment already produced by domestic strategic industries.

The Indonesian Navy, for example, needs more than 200 patrol boats and transportation vessels, Navy spokesman Cmdr. Iskandar Sitompul told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"We have prioritized the procurement of additional patrol boats and transport vessels such as the landing transport docks *LPDs* we buy from South Korea and PT PAL," Iskandar said over the phone, referring to the state-owned shipbuilder.

"PT PAL should be able to produce these kinds of vessels, because they do not need sophisticated systems for weapons or command systems."

Iskandar said battle vessels such as destroyers, corvettes, and submarines were much more complex and therefore the Navy would procure them from foreign shipbuilders.

However, he emphasized that PT PAL needed to adhere more strictly to its delivery schedules for vessels.

"The LPDs we ordered from South Korea were delivered within six months and a year," he said.

"Meanwhile, those from PT PAL were behind schedule by around six months."

In addition to the LPDs, PT PAL has also produced 12 FPB-57 fast patrol boats made under license from German shipbuilder Friedrich Luerssen Wieft.

The Navy is also operating a number of aircraft assembled by state-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI). These include the NC-212 Aviocar (transport and maritime patrol versions) and the NBell-412 and NBO-105 helicopters.

The company is ready for bigger orders from the government, despite having plenty of sub-contracting orders from larger aircraft builders - particularly the European Airbus, PT DI spokesman Rahendi Triatna told the Post on Saturday.

"For example, we can produce between five and seven CN-235 *aircraft* per year with standard configuration," Rahendi said in Bandung.

"We also have six NC-212-200 aircraft and nine NAS-332 Super Puma *helicopters* all in basic, green, condition."

PT DI was working on four CN-235 in maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) for the South Korean Coast Guard, Rahendi said.

Tuesday's session, which Industry Minister MS Hidayat is scheduled to attend, will focus on the strategic industries' presentation of their capabilities and needs.

State-owned weapons and munitions producer PT Pindad, for example, expects the government to procure more locally made weapons.

"We could produce up to 20,000 firearms per year, but the government usually orders only around 5,000 at the most," PT Pindad spokesman Timbul Sitompul told the Post on Sunday.

Timbul said PT Pindad was actively taking part in various international exhibitions to market its products. Pindad is scheduled to take part in an exhibition in Langkawi, Malaysia, in December, he said.

Pindad produces, among others, the SS-1 and SS-2 assault rifles and the Anoa 6x6 armored personnel carrier.

The workshops will continue on Dec. 1, with Finance Minister Sri Mulyani as a keynote speaker, and are set to conclude with a national seminar on the revitalization of the strategic industries, on Dec. 8. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to open the seminar at the State Palace.