Indonesia’s Air Force Adds More Flankers

Indonesia’s Air Force Adds More Flankers (NSI News Source Info) September 25, 2008: Russia’s MAKS air show doesn’t have quite the international clout of Farnborough or Le Bourget, but the price and quality of modern Russian fighters ensures its place on the international circuit. In August 2007, Russian sources claimed that $3 billion in civil and military contracts were signed at MAKS 2007. That year, the top military contract came on opening day, when Rosoboronexport State Corporation and the Republic of Indonesia signed a $355 million Memorandum of Understanding for 3 SU-27SKM and 3 SU-30MK2 fighters.

SU-27SK

Indonesia’s 12 remaining F-16A/Bs and 16 remaining F-5E/F fighters experienced severe maintenance problems in the wake of a US embargo, which was triggered the Indonesian military’s widespread human rights abuses in East Timor. A $192 million contract began to address that in 2003 by buying 2 SU-27SK single-seat and 2 Su-30MKK twin-seat multi-role fighters from Russia, and Indonesia is continuing on that course despite the lifting of the US embargo in November 2005. August 2007 featured the $355 million agreement for additional fighters, and a month later that purchase was followed by a $1.2 billion array of submarines, armored vehicles, and armed helicopters. It’s all part of an oil-fueled modernization drive, backed by increased military spending. DID offers details regarding the new fighters and their regional implications, as well as the procedural snag that may delay their delivery… The SU-27SKM and SU-30MK2 are parallel upgrade programs with many modifications in common, including the addition of digital cockpits with updated avionics, additional wing hardpoints, carrying capacity upgrades to 8000 kg of weapons, a wider variety of weapon options, upgraded radars and ECM, and in-flight refueling capability. These modifications change the SU-27 from a dedicated air superiority fighter to a versatile attack aircraft as well, and both planes share the Sukhoi Flanker family’s combination of long range, large payloads, and air to air performance that can match or beat any American fighter except the F-22A Raptor. For more on the strategic and procurement issues tied up in this purchase, see UPI analyst Martin Sieff’s “Jets for Jakarta: A Whole New Strategic Game For Australasia” [UPI direct Part 1 Part 2], and Air Power Australia’s “Sukhoi Flankers: The Shifting Balance of Regional Air Power.”