New Falcon 8X Officially Strengthens Indonesian Air Force To Replace Dassault Loan Unit

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (right) together with Air Force Chief of Staff (KSAU) Marshal TNI Fadjar Prasetyo / DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - A new Falcon 8X jet made by Dassault Aviation, France, arrived in Indonesia and will strengthen the Air Squadron 17 of Halim Perdanakusuma's VIP/VVIP Air Base (Lanud) Air Force, Jakarta. Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha said the new unit, which was made for approximately a year, arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base on Wednesday afternoon, and was immediately handed over from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense to the Indonesian Air Force. "The Falcon 8X aircraft (register number, ed.) A-0801 is an additional force for the Air Force Control Command (AIR Force Coal) fleet which is designed to support leadership tasks so that they can move quickly to carry out their leadership functions," said Edwin in Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Thursday, November 9. The new Falcon 8X unit replaces Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X which were previously loaned by Dassault to Indonesia. The Indonesian government in December 2022 received a loan of one Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X from Dassault, both of which were to prepare pilots, mechanical crew, and cabin crew, especially in terms of operational and maintenance. The Falcon 8X loaned by Dassault in 2022 is a unit produced in 2017. "The interim plane (interimal loans) will be returned if the actual aircraft (the new unit, ed.) comes," said the Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Secretariat. The Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X loans along with the delivery of the new Falcon 8X units are the result of negotiations from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and Dassault Aviation, especially when both signed the Rafale fighter jet purchase contract. In the purchase contract, especially for the first 6 units of a total of 36 Rafale units, Dassault agreed not only to send its fighter aircraft and the 8X Falcon VIP/VVIP jet. "The Falcon 8X aircraft have an advantage, which has a far range and can land (land, red.) well on a short runway," said the Indonesian Ministry of Defense in its official broadcast in Jakarta, Thursday. In the ceremony for the arrival of the new Falcon 8X unit at the Halim Perdanakusuma Base Base, Jakarta, Wednesday, Air Force Chief of Staff (Kasau) Marshal TNI Fadjar Prasetyo led the welcoming procession.

Some of the aircraft welcoming traditions, among others, water salute, waterfall on the plane's muzzle, then break the jug to the bottom of the plane's license.