JAKARTA - TNI Commander Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto emphasized that air power is the determinant of victory in almost every modern conflict / war in the world.
"If we look back at the history of modern warfare, we will see that air power has become a 'game changer' on the battlefield," said the TNI Commander when speaking at the "International Seminar on Air Power 2021" quoted by Antara, Wednesday, March 31.
According to Hadi, World War II became the most complete historical record for the rise of air power as a new lethal weapon in combat.
"We still remember how the US Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor was paralyzed by a squadron of Japanese fighter aircraft launched from an aircraft carrier," he said.
Marshal Hadi touched on the history that records how the "battleship" of the British empire, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse was defenseless against Japanese warplanes air attack in the South China Sea in 1941.
"The strategic value of air power reached its peak when B29 Superfortres bombers dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the Pacific war," he said.
The determinant of air power also seen in the US-led coalition's desert storm operations in Iraq is determined by the stealth capabilities of the F-117 Nighthawk.
The F-177 Nighthawk was capable of low flying and destroying electrical installations and disabling Iraqi air defense capabilities, paving the way for further air strikes.
"The operation proved successful in withdrawing Iraqi troops from Kuwait. What just happened, I think everyone also saw in the media, the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh which we should learn from. Azerbaijan's victory over Armenia has opened the world's eyes to the power. "Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV)," said the TNI Commander.
Currently, continued Marshal Hadi, UCAV capabilities are not only used in tactical attack missions, but also as tactical and strategic drones to become eyes in the air.
Therefore, Marshal Hadi hopes that the Indonesian Air Force will continue to pay close attention to unmanned combat aircraft technology or UCAV as modern defense equipment.
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