Indonesian Air Force Will Add 2 Drone Squadrons In Tarakan And Malang

Head of the Air Force Information Service, First Marshal R. Agung Sasongkojati, answered reporters' questions when met at the Puri Ardhya Garini Building, Halim Perdana Kusuma, Jakarta, Thursday (29/2/2024). (ANTARA/Fath Putra Mulya)

Head of the Air Force Information Service (Kadispenau) Marsma TNI R. Agung Sasongkojati said the Indonesian Air Force would add two squadrons of unmanned aircraft (drone) in Tarakan, North Kalimantan and Malang, East Java, so that Indonesia would have a total of four drone squadrons. “We will add two more squadrons. Currently we already have drone squadrons, namely the 51st Squadron in Pontianak and the 52nd Squadron in Natuna. We will add two more squadrons, namely 53 in Tarakan and 54 in Abdurachman Saleh in Malang,” said Agung when met at Puri Ardhya Garini Building, Halim Perdana Kusuma, Jakarta, Antara, Thursday, February 29. Kadispenau explained that currently the Indonesian Air Force is still operating ANKA and CH4 drones. Later, he said, the new squadron will be filled by ANKA drones purchased from Turkey. “ First, now we will use it operationally, there is ANKA, CH4; those two will be the backbone of this squadron. Such a plan (ANKA from Turkey) will fill the new squadron,” said Agung. Previously, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and Turkish Aerospace in Jakarta, February 3, 2023, signed a cooperation purchase of 12 ANKA units accompanied by several training programs, technology transfer, and support for integrated logistics support (ILS), ground support and test equipment (GS&TE), flight simulators, hangar infrastructure, and warranty period for 24 months/600 flight hours. Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General TNI Edwin Adrian Sumantha explained that the purchase contract of 12 ANKA units reached US $ 300 million or around Rp. 4.5 trillion. The plan is that ANKA will be sent to Indonesia within 32 months after the effective contract. The Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force (KSAU) Marshal TNI Fadjar Prasetyo said that the Indonesian Air Force always follows the latest technological developments in the military sector, especially related to drones, in accordance with the mandate of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

TNI Marshal Fadjar when opening the 2024 Indonesian Air Force Leadership Meeting at the Puri Ardhya Garini Building, Jakarta, Thursday, said that the Indonesian Air Force had contributed significantly through the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology since 2015. "In the future, the Indonesian Air Force will continue to be equipped with more modern UAVs and UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles)," said KSAU.