Indonesia To Buy 8 AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters From The US

According to Chuck Hagel, the United States Secretary of Defense who is currently visiting Indonesia, the US will sell eight Apache AH-64E attack helicopters to the Indonesian Armed Forces for about $500 million.

The AH-64E from Boeing is the latest version of the Apache helicopter in use by the US Army and which has been exported to other countries in the region such as Taiwan and South Korea.

If the acquisition goes through, Indonesia would become the 14th country to have chosen the Apache helicopter. The other countries are Egypt, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The AH-64E Apache Guardian can be armed with rocket pods, Hellfire and other missiles. A 30 mm cannon is also mounted on the AH-64E. It is compatible with the Longbow radar.

The Apache AH-64E purchase is the latest in a string of acquisitions in recent years by Indonesia from all over the world, including:

• Leopard II Main Battle Tanks from Germany
• T-50 Golden Eagle trainer aircraft from South Korea
• C-802A and C-705 anti-ship missiles from China
• Super Tucano ground attack aircraft from Brazil
• Airbus C-295 transport aircraft from Europe
• Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft and Yakhont missiles from Russia
• F-16 fighter aircraft from the US

Indonesia has chosen to acquire arms from all over the world, which is unlike many other countries which tend to stick exclusively to for example western countries.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/26/us-indonesia-helicopters-idUSL4N0GR24I20130826

By Los688 [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Germany Approves Indonesian Purchase of 100 Leopard 2 Tanks and 50 Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles

Germany has approved the sale of 100 used Leopard 2A6 Main Battle Tanks and 50 Marder 1A3 Infantry Fighting vehicles (IFV) to Indonesia. The German National Security Council must approve all large arms sales to other countries.

Indonesia had earlier selected to buy the Leopard 2 tanks from Germany's Rheinmetall over the option of buying them from the Netherlands. Russia had also offered its T-90 tanks to Indonesia.

Indonesia had earlier put the cost of the 100 refurbished Leopard 2A6 tanks, including related equipment, support vehicles and services, at $280 million. Delivery is expected to be complete by 2014.

The purchase are part of the $15 billion, which Indonesia plans to spend to upgrade its army. Currently, Indonesia only has outdated British Scorpion and French AMX13 tanks, which are much smaller and lighter than the heavy Leopard 2 tanks.

The Leopard 2 tank is armed with a 120 mm smoothbore cannon with a crew of 4 and weighs over 60 tons. The tracked Marder IFV is armed with a 20 mm cannon with a crew of 3 and can carry 7 soldiers.

Unlike Indonesia, a decision on whether or not to proceed with the sale of Leopard 2 tanks to Saudi Arabia has been postponed by Germany until after the federal elections in September 2013.

Saudi Arabia is interested in purchasing several hundred new Leopard 2 tanks and other armored vehicles. Qatar has already purchased 62 Leopard 2 tanks and 24 PzH2000 Self-Propelled Howitzers recently.

The first eight Flakpanzer Gepard Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (SPAAG) to Brazil are due for delivery later this year. Brazil ordered 34 used Gepards in April 2013. They are armed with two 35 mm guns for short-range air defense.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/03/germany-arms-indonesia-saudi-idUSL6N0DK2II20130503

By U.S. Army Specialist Markus Rauchenberger [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By P.Eckardt [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Indonesia received another 2 Su-30MK2 from Russia

Another 2 dual-seat Su-30MK2 fighter aircraft arrived at the Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force Base in Makassar, Indonesia from Russia in an An-124-100 Ruslan transporrt aircraft.

The aircraft are the first out of a total order of 6 with the remaining 4 aircraft arriving in June and July this year. They will be assembled over the next 2 weeks by technicians from Komsomolsk-na Amure Aircraft Production Association (KNAAPO).

The engines are delivered separately, as are the weapons, which Indonesia has to purchase in a separate order due to budget contraints.

The addition of another 2 Su-30MK2 brings the number of Su-30MK2 in the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) to 6. There are 6 Su-27SMK single-seat fighter aircraft in service since 2003 to bring the total number of Flankers currently in service to 12.

Indonesia is currently undergoing a comprehensive modernization of its armed forces with the addition of new vessels, aircraft and missiles from a wide variety of countries all over the world.

For example, the TNI AU is expecting the delivery of 24 used F-16 C/D Block 25 from the United States, which will have to be modernized at Indonesia's expense. The existing 10 F-16 A/B Block 15 OCU in service will also be upgraded.

Last September, the Rockwell OV-10 Bronco were replaced in the TNI AU by the first 4 EMB-314 Super Tucano ground attack turboprop aircraft out of a total of 16 ordered from Brazil's Embraer.

Also on order are the T-50 Golden Eagle lead-in fighter trainer (LIFT) aircraft from the Korean Aerospace Industry, to replace the BAE Hawk Mk from the United Kingdom.

Indonesia is expecting 4 used C-130H Hercules transport aircraft from Australia and intends to order 6 new C-130 aircraft from the United States. Two out of 9 Airbus C-295 have been received and this type will be produced locally under license by PT Dirgantara Indonesia.


http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/02/25/air-force-gets-two-sukhoi-jet-fighters-waits-four-more.html

By Doomych (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By Lt. Col. Jonas Reynoso, Dominican Republic Air Force [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Indonesia to license produce Chinese C-705 missiles

The Indonesian Navy has recently received its third KCR-40 out of a planned 16 fast missile boats, the KRI Beladau-643, after the KRI Clurit-641 and KRI Kujang-642. A fourth vessel will be delivered in November and the remaining 12 are expected in 2014.

According to First Admiral Untung Suropati, the KCR-40 boats will all be armed in 2014 with the C-705 missile imported from China. At a later stage, state aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia is expected to locally produce the C-705 missiles by 2017 or 2018.

If realized, Indonesia would be following in the footsteps of Iran, which is also producing Chinese missiles under license. Both the C-701 and C-704 are produced locally as the Kowsar and Nasr-1 respectively.

The C-705 family of cruise missiles can be launched from land, surface vessels and aircraft. It can be equipped with a modular seeker and is available in radar, television and imaging infrared versions.

The C-705 specifications depending on variant include:

• Weight: 320 kg
• Warhead: 110 kg
• Range: 140 km
• Cruise altitude: 12 m
• Seeker: radar, television, or imaging infrared
• Propulsion: turbojet with solid rocket booster

The anti-ship variant is marketed as a lighter and smaller alternative to the C-802 missile to target ships with a displacement of between 1500 and 3000 tons. The most recent version is the C-705KD.

Indonesia plans to continue with its ongoing naval modernisation with the acquisitions of major weapons systems, such as:

• submarines
• maritime patrol aircraft
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopters
• light frigates
• guided missile destroyers

It has a current defense budget of 81 trillion Indonesian Rupiah or roughly $8.42 billion.


http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/26/third-locally-made-missile-ship-delivered.html

Credit original poster, via Chinese Internet