Indonesian Military says can't rely on local arms

ID Nugroho , The Jakarta Post , Surabaya | Sat, 07/12/2008 11:41 AM | National

The national defense industry remains unable to meet the demand of the Indonesian Military (TNI) for quality weaponry at competitive prices and quick delivery times.

During a quarterly forum on military weaponry here Friday, the TNI said the national defense industry needed to improve its products to meet military standards.

"We must improve ourselves and not be easily tempted by offers from the West. We only need their technology," the assistant to the TNI chief for planning, Rear Adm. Amirullah Amin, said.

With 20 percent of TNI weaponry having been operational for 30 years or longer, the country's defense system is feared to lack capability to keep territorial integrity intact.

A series of accidents involving old war machines since December last year prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order the TNI to withdraw all aging military equipment.

Also attending the trimonthly forum were Defense Ministry secretary-general Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsuddin, logistics officials from the Navy, Air Force and Army, directors from state defense companies PT Pindad, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI), PT PAL and PT Dahana, and representatives from the Finance Ministry, State Ministry for State Enterprises and the National Development Planning Board.

During the meeting, the Air Force said state aircraft manufacturer PT DI was unable to produce aircraft that met its demanded specifications; the Navy complained said PT PAL was unable to produce much-needed submarines; and the Army questioned why PT Pindad remained unable to produce cannons.

State enterprises ministry secretary Muhammad Said Didu attributed the inability of the state enterprises to meet the TNI's demands to the "unhealthy" condition of the companies.

He suggested the government set up a holding company focused on the military industry.

According to data from the National Development Planning Board, the government plans to inject US$200 million in fresh investment into PT Pindad and PT DI for weaponry production projects, such as tanks and military aircraft.

The government will also allocate up to $3 billion for arms purchases through 2010.

"The government will provide domestic lending to the armed forces to modernize its weaponry. A regulation on this will be signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono soon," said Eril Herliyanto, an official with the Directorate General for Defense Planning at the Defense Ministry.

He said the government had emphasized the domestic production of arms to end the country's dependency on foreign arms suppliers.