PDIP Soroti MRO AS di Bandara Kertajati: Berpotensi Jadi Pangkalan Militer Terselubung

Kertajati Airport in Tasikmalaya, West Java (ANTARA)

Member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives from the PDIP Faction, TB Hasanuddin, asked the government to be careful regarding the approval of making Kertajati Airport, West Java, as a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) or aircraft maintenance center for C-130 Hercules on the proposal of the United States Government.

According to TB Hasanuddin, this cooperation cannot be seen as just an ordinary aviation industry project, but has strategic, defense, and even state sovereignty dimensions that must be thoroughly studied.

"The decision to accept the offer of the United States to make Indonesia a C-130 aircraft MRO hubs and to establish Kertajati Airport as its location must be carried out very carefully and transparently," said TB Hasanuddin, Thursday, May 21.

The PDIP legislator from the West Java District assessed that there should be clarity regarding the scope of the MRO operation. Because according to him, if the facility is only used for C-130 aircraft belonging to the US military operating in the Asia Pacific region, it has the potential to cause strategic legal and political problems.

"If the facility is exclusive to support the operations of US military aircraft in the Asian region, then the perception can develop as a form of a US military base in Indonesia. This must certainly be watched because it can collide with laws and regulations as well as the principle of free foreign policy that Indonesia adheres to," he said.

The retired Major General also emphasized that the public also needs to understand that the offer came from the United States Secretary of Defense, not from the Hercules aircraft manufacturer as a pure industrial cooperation. Therefore, according to him, the strategic interests of the US military are very strong in the plan.

TB Hasanuddin also highlighted the status of Kertajati Airport, which has been a civilian airport. According to him, if it is used as a center for maintenance of foreign military aircraft, then there needs to be adjustments to regulations, governance, and clear zoning arrangements.

"Kertajati Airport is currently a civil aviation airport. If it becomes a military aircraft maintenance center, of course there must be clear arrangements so as not to interfere with the function of civil aviation services for West Java people," he said.

TB Hasanuddin added that in a number of countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and the Philippines, MRO cooperation with the United States is indeed carried out to support the operation of US military aircraft in the Indo-Pacific region. However, these facilities are generally located in special industrial areas or facilities owned by domestic aircraft maintenance industries.

Therefore, TB Hasanuddin asked the government to ensure that there are real benefits for the national defense industry, especially PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI).

"The main principle is to maintain state sovereignty, ensure national interests remain a priority, and strengthen the domestic defense industry," concluded TB Hasanuddin.

It is known that the United States (US) Minister of War Pete Hegseth has made an interesting offer to the Indonesian government regarding the centralization of maintenance (maintenance, repair, and overhaul/MRO) programs to repair C-130 Hercules aircraft throughout Asia. Later, the MRO of all the US Air Force (USAF) mainstay transport aircraft will be centralized in Indonesia.

Hegseth's intention was conveyed to the Minister of Defense (Menhan) of the Republic of Indonesia when the two met at the Pentagon, USA in April 2026. The Minister of Defense also revealed this interesting fact to the Commission I of the DPR during a hearing at the Parliament Complex, Senayan, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, May 19.