Ketika bencana tsunami terjadi di Aceh, dunia terkejut karena besarnya bencana itu menyebabkan ratusan ribu orang Aceh meninggal dunia, dan bencana itu pula menerjang wilayah yang lebih luas dari Aceh, Thailand, Srilangka sampai Madagaskar di Afrika. Dunia juga kemudian bersimpati dan “bangga” dengan gambar-gambar tentara negara-negara sahabat yang ikut terlibat dalam operasi kemanusiaan di Aceh itu menggendong bayi atau anak kecil atau orang tua. Media dunia terutama dari negara-negara barat seakan-akan “bersatu” memuat gambar yang menyentuh kalbu itu. Sayangnya media Indonesia tidak ada yang bersatu atau “ngeh” untuk memuat gambar pasukan TNI kita yang juga melakukan operasi kemanusiaan yang sama.

Kejadian seperti itu berulang lagi pada saat musibah jatuhnya pesawat Rusia Shukoi Superjet 100 di Gunung Salak Bogor. Serpihan pesawat dan potongan tubuh korban berada di lereng gunung yang kemiringannya hampir 90 derajat dan berada di dasar jurang yang dalam. Tapi sangat mengagumkan pasukan TNI baik dari Kopassus, Marinir, Paskhas, dan Brimob dari kepolisian, tim SAR dari Basarnas serta para mahasiswa pencinta alam dan penduduk lokal berhasil mencapai daerah yang sulit di jangkau itu. Tim Rusia pun yang akhirnya ikut rombongan SAR ternyata mengakui sulitnya medan Gunung Salak dan malahan ada yang minta turun lagi ke daerah yang lebih datar.

Yang mengagumkan dan membanggakan lagi adalah tim kecil dari Kopassus yang ditugaskan untuk mencari black box di dasar jurang, dan akhirnya menembukan ELT atau Emergency Locator Transmitter. Ada informasi yang menyebutkan bahwa Tim ini diterjunkan dengan menggunakan tali, dan ketika mereka sampai di tengah-tengah jurang, ternyata talinya tidak mencukupi panjangnya, lalu mereka lapor pada komandannya, dan komandan mengatakan akan mengirim tali tambahan tapi satu hari lagi datangnya. Bisa di bayangkan pasukan elit itu menunggu tambahan tali sambil bergelantungan di medan yang gelap dan membahayakan itu.

Kopassus memang tangguh dalam tugas-tugas seperti itu, mereka memang dilatih dengan keras dan ada pendapat yang mengatakan bahwa satu orang prajurit Kopassus itu sama dengan 5 prajurit regular. Dan yang membanggakan lagi adalah Kopassus ini disejajarkan dengan pasukan elit Inggris SAS dan pasukan inteligen Israel Mosad. Bahkan pasukan elite AS tidak termasuk pada masuk pada jajran ini karena dianggap terlalu mengandalkan teknologi. Sementara Kopassus itu memang dilatih secara individu dan tim kecil yang tangguh.

Kopassus Angkatan Darat dengan baret merah darahnya dibentuk pada bulan April 1952 dengan nama yang berganti ganti, dari RPKAD –Resimen Para Komando Angkatan Darat, lalu Kopasandha – Komando Pasukan Sandi Yudha dan sekarang Kopassus atau Komando Pasukan Khusus. Tugas negara banyak yang berhasil di embannya.

Memang pada jaman Suharto, nama Kopassus mencadi tercoreng karena kasus-kasus hak azasi manusia; namun sekarang sejalan dengan reformasi di tubuh Angkatan Darat, Kopassus mulai bangkit lagi dan negara-negara di dunia termasuk negara-negara tetangga termasuk Australia masih mengakui bahwa Kopassus adalah pasukan elit Angkatan Darat yang tangguh.

Terlepas dengan pro kontra soal keterlibatan Kopassus di berbagai kasus HAM, namun ketangguhan, ke profesionalitasannya, dalam operasi kemanusiaan bencana jatuhnya pesawat Shukoi superjet 100 harus diliput media nasional dengan proporsional, agar masyarakat Indonesia makin mencintai Tentaranya sendiri. Apresiasi yang tingggi dari seluruh anak negeri ini harus ditujukan kepada prajurit –prajurit penjaga ibu pertiwi ini. Siapa lagi kalau bukan kita.

Alumni University of London, Universitas Airlangga Surabaya, dan dosen STIE PERBANAS Surabaya.

“If they buy the aircraft, we’ll discuss with local industry how they can participate,” says Ignacio Alonso, Airbus Military’s senior vice-president for commercial, strategy, and industrial relations in Asia. “It’s too soon to say how they could collaborate, but we are open to discussing collaboration.”

“The A400M fits their current and future needs very well, both for military and humanitarian relief,” he adds.

He was speaking after the conclusion of the A400M’s Asian debut tour in April. The trip saw aircraft MSN4 visit Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Malaysia is the first non-European nation to order the aircraft, with an order for four. During the Thailand visit, the Thai defence minister flew on the aircraft from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.

Alonso also provided more details about Indonesia’s nine aircraft C-295 purchase that was announced at the Singapore air show in February. The aircraft will be operated by the Indonesian air force and will be designated CN-295 in Indonesian service. The Indonesian government is still arranging for the financing of the aircraft and Alonso expects the first two to be delivered this year.

When it announced the CN-295 deal in February, Airbus Military said Dirgantara Indonesia will manufacture the tail empennage as well as the rear fuselage and fuselage panels. The final assembly line for the last two aircraft will be located in Indonesia and Dirgantara Indonesia will also establish a service centre.

www.flightglobal.com

Rosoboronexport deputy chief Viktor Komardin said the deal for BMP-3F vehicles was expected later this month.

To date, Russia has delivered 17 BMP-3Fs to Indonesia.

Company’s spokesman Rakhendi Triatna said that he could not reveal the details of the purchase yet, including the country buyers.

However, he explained that the company had completed the last four of 12 aircraft units proposed by South Korea worth of US$94.5 million.

The company also claimed to sign US$80 million contract of five CN 235 units with the Indonesian Navy.

(The Jakarta Post)

Indonesia plans to double its military helicopter fleet, increasing the need for training, Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro announced in March.

(Source : Rotor & Wing)

On 28th March 1981, Garuda Indonesian Airlines Flight GA 206, by DC-9 “Woyla” was en route from Palembang to Medan, a domestic flight between two Indonesian cities. The plane had flown from Jakarta at 08:00, was in transit to Palembang, and from there was scheduled to make the trip to its final destination at Medan, arrival time estimated 10:55.

Once in the air, however, two passengers got up from their seats. One went to the cockpit while the other stood in the aisle. Moments later, by 10:10, Woyla was completely under the control of five hijackers, all armed. The hijacker in the cockpit ordered the pilot to fly the plane to Colombo, Sri Lanka, but the pilot said that the fuel wouldn’t be sufficient to travel that distance. Then the plane was then flown to Penang, Malaysia.

The terrorists are from Jihad Commando group, radicals responsible for raids on police stations, military bases, and various acts of sabotage in Indonesia from 1977-1981. In the midday, Indonesian government went on red alert. Indonesia had never dealt with serious hijacking before. The first case ever was in 1974, when a desperate Marine hijacked a domestic flight for money, then he was killed by the pilot himself. In an effort to familiarize themselves with the layout of the aircraft, later that evening the newly created Indonesian’s Special Force, Kophasanda (now Kopassus), borrowed another DC-9 from Garuda Airlines and used it for combat training.

Woyla has left Malaysia after refueling, bound to Don Muang, Thailand. An old female passenger was allowed to go in Malaysia. The terrorists have declared their demand: The release of Jihad Commandos that have been imprisoned by Indonesian government, and US $ 1.5 million. They also demand a plane is prepared for the released prisoners, to an yet unspecified destination. They have bomb set on the plane. Things get harder for the Kophasanda commander. He suspects that the plane will be flown to a state in Middle East. But as the plane has been relocated from Malaysia, the step was going further for him.

Also, US Ambassador has called him and told him that US really counts on him to the safety of American citizens abroad the flight. In 21:00, 29th March, 35 members of Kophasanda left Indonesia in a DC-10, all wearing civilian clothes. Thailand government itself didn’t agree much on Indonesian choice to use military force. They preferred negotiation, the same way that ended the taking of Israeli embassy in Bangkok by Black September terrorists back in 1972. Finally, they let the military way, considering that the owner of the aircraft is Indonesian government, and all the terrorists are Indonesian nationals, from an extremist group. The CIA chief of station in Thailand met later with Kophasanda to lend them flak jackets and breaching kits for the assault.

An American journalist on the top of a bus surrounding Don Muang, woke his comrades, international journalists from Indonesia, US, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, West Germany, France, and Australia. 500 meters from Woyla, armed soldiers walked silently in the bushes. The plan was, blue team and red team would climb the wings then wait at the side doors. The windows of the plane have been blinded. While green team will breach the rear door, all will enter at the same time at the go-code.

02:43 Thailand commando team also moves in, waiting on the runway to prevent the possibility of escaping terrorists.
02:43 The go-code is given. The three teams enter, but not at the same time. Green team entered first, only to find that a terrorist was alert in the rear side of the plane. The terrorist fired, striking one assault team member in an area of his stomach unprotected by his flak jacket. Blue team and red team then entered, shot 3 terrorists on sight, as the passengers ducked and closed their eyes. The commando team shouted to the passengers, telling them to rush out. A hijacker, with grenade in hand, also ran outside and tried to throw it. But other passengers pinpointed him and the commando team finished him before the front door. The last terrorist was killed outside the plane.
02:45 With the area secure, paramedics immediately rushed to the plane to try and save the pilot who had accidentally been shot by a terrorist during the raid.

All terrorists aboard were killed. The Asian Wall Street Journal, as well as Asian and European papers praised the good work by Indonesian Special Force – Kopasandha (now Kopassus). Indonesian intelligence itself later declared that the main goal of the terrorists’ organization was to throw the government and to create an different kind of state in Indonesia.

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro told reporters at the president’s office on Friday that Ban was scheduled to open and deliver the keynote speech at the Jakarta International Defense Dialogue on March 20.

The UN secretary general will also visit the Indonesian Peacekeeping Center in Sentul, West Java, which was inaugurated on Dec. 19.

The center, which that will house a regional counter-terrorism and disaster relief training center, the Indonesia Defense University, as well as a standby force that can respond rapidly to natural disasters and UN peacekeeping missions, will be ready by 2014.

Ban and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono were also scheduled to attend a reunion of UN peacekeeping forces that served in Bosnia. Yudhoyono served as a peacekeeping officer in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1995 to 1996.

taken from The Jakarta Globe

Previously, Indonesia snatched the top rank in 2005 and 2008.

The TNI beat contingents from the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and Malaysia at the event, which was held from Jan. 12 to 29 in Brunei.

The team finished in first place with 82 gold, 30 silver and eight bronze medals and nine honorary trophies from the individual and group categories, TNI team leader Col. Raharyono said on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com.

In the individual category, the TNI brought home nine gold, seven silver, and four bronze medals and 73 gold, 23 silver and four bronze medals in the group category.

TNI chief Adm. Agus Suhartono praised the contingent upon its return to Cilangkap, West Java, on Sunday, cautioning the officers and soldiers not to get carried away with their accomplishment.

Indonesian soldiers have dominated military shooting competitions both in the regional and international levels such as among ASEAN countries and contingents serving the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.(sat/mtq)

The deal will be finalized on February 10, the source said, adding that 20 BMP-3 vehicles will be delivered before the end of the year.

The Russian army stopped purchasing the vehicles in 2010. The state-run weapons exporter Rosoboronexport declined to comment. The Kurganmashzavod arms plant said it would produce modified vehicles for Indonesia.

(RIA Novosti)

Jakarta will receive two more in 2013 and the final pair in 2014, said Indonesian air force chief of staff Imam Sufaat. His comments were quoted in a report by official government news agency Antara.

The report added that the Indonesian air force currently has six Su-27SKMs and four Su-30MK2s in its inventory. The aircraft are based at Sultan Hasanuddin air base in Indonesia’s South Sulawesi province.

Separately, in the coming months Indonesia could issue a letter of acceptance for 24 used US Air National Guard Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds. In late November, the US government outlined details of the proposed sale and upgrade of the Block 25-standard aircraft for Indonesia, valuing the Foreign Military Sale deal at $750 million.

If a letter of acceptance is issued in early 2012, it could clear the way for deliveries of the upgraded F-16s to commence in 2014.

Australia has also offered to donate four Lockheed C-130H Hercules transports to Jakarta, contingent on aircraft upgrading, but this deal has yet to be confirmed.

This year PTDI will build two prototypes for test flying and status tests on land, Technology and Development Director of PTDI Dita Ardonni Jafri said in Bandung Saturday.

She said the basic framework of N-219 was started in 2006 and in 2008 has completed various basic tests, including wind tunnel tests. PTDI had carried out various tests with cooperation of the Technology Study Development Agency (BPPT).

The plane has a capacity of 19 passengers and equipped with two engines and planned to fly to pioneering destinations in remote places.

N-219 is still making other tests like aircraft static test, production engine test, and eventually flying test. In 2014 it may obtain a flying certification from the Ministry of Transportation and in 2015 planned to enter the market to replace planes of similar class which have become too old.

Several regency administrations have expressed their interest to operate the N-219, which is very suitable for lights between the different regencies and remote places in the country.

Besides, PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines (PT. MNA) has also expressed interest to operate it and planned to buy 20 of the planes like it has told the State Enterprises Minister following a working session with Commission VI of the House of Representatives in July 2011.

The market survey by PTDI shows that Indonesia now needs 202 planes like the N-219, including 97 civilian planes, and 105 for military purposes and other special purposes.

It is not only very suitable on not very smooth landing strips, the airplane can also take off in only 600 meters with high stability, and is very suitable for isolated air strips in Indonesia without too much land.

The plane is also designed for short distances (1,200 km) with a maximum speed of only 213 Kts (395 km per hour), while the price is much lower than other planes of the same class and operational costs.

PTDI has earlier successfully produced planes widely used in the world like the CN-235 with cooperation of CASA, Spain, and had also built bigger planes like the N-250 in mid-1990.

With regard to the CN-235, a number of countries have the biggest number like Turkey (60), Korea (20), French airport (190) and Malaysia (eight).

The other CN-235 operators are Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bophuthatswana, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Chile, Colombia, Equador, Irland, Jordan, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Papua Nugini, South Africa, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela and the US.

In 2011, PTDI has sent three N-235 of the maritime survey type to the South Korea coastal guard and another in March 2012.(*)

Editor: Ruslan Burhani

The aircraft will be based at Abd Saleh air force base in Malang, on Indonesia’s main island of Java, where support facilities have been set up for the Brazilian turboprop, said a report by official Indonesian news agency Antara, quoting Indonesian air force colonel Novianto Widadi.

The report added that 12 pilots have been trained for the aircraft, which will perform a flying display at the air force’s anniversary celebrations in April.

In November 2010, Jakarta announced that it would acquire 16 Super Tucanos to replace its Rockwell OV-10 Broncos. The aircraft will be used both as trainers and in the light ground attack role. Widadi added that the aircraft will also be used for border patrols.

© Embraer

According to Embraer, the Super Tucano can carry a payload of 1,550kg (3420lb) and, with external tanks, has an endurance of up to eight hours. It can take off and land on an airfield of just 900m (2950ft).

It is armed with two .50 caliber machine guns in the wings with 200 rounds each.

“In addition to its two internal machine guns, the Super Tucano can be configured with additional underwing armament, such as two 20mm gun pods or .50 caliber machine guns, thereby significantly increasing its firepower for missions requiring air-to-ground saturation,” said Embraer.

It added that the aircraft can also carry air-to-air missiles such as the Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder class, rocket pods, and conventional or guided bombs. The OV-10 has seen extensive combat service in Indonesia. It was used extensively in the former Indonesian province of East Timor, and also conducted anti-guerrilla operations in the low-level insurgencies that Indonesia has periodically suffered in its provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya.

Related efforts to empower strategic industry for national defense, according to the TNI chief, the institute also plans to involve or PT Dirgantara Indonesia cooperation in various matters relating to training, guarantee the availability of spare parts, the percentage of local content and technology transfer.

About the purchase of fast patrol boats, the TNI chief said that according to II-year strategic plan 2010-2014, the Navy has budgeted the purchase of Quick Ship Missile trimaran with a length of 60 meters and Fast Ship Missiles along 40 meters. “Both are products of private industry nationwide,” said Commander of the TNI.

In a meeting led by Chairman of Commission I Aziz Stamboel (FPKS), was also attended by Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, the TNI chief of staff and Deputy Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.

North Sea Boats X3K Trimaran

Dimensions :

Length (over all) : 55 meter
Beam : 16 meter
Draught : 2 meter
Main engine : 4 x C32 Caterpillar
Max speed : 40 Knots
Range : 2000 nm
Displacement : 130 tons

John Lundin belongs to a boat building family. When he was in his mid twenties the family’s five shipyards in Sweden and Norway “Swede Ship Group” went bankrupt and Johns farther Allan Lundin got cancer.

In all that mess the young man went to Indonesia out of all places, sold two boats, and obviously more important, he met his Indonesian wife Lizza.

“The next year or two we lived together in Sweden where Lizza, took care of my father until he died. His illness hit at the same time as Sweden almost went bankrupt, and they also cancelled subsidies to shipyards. While Sweden follow the rules and lost good business other countries bended the rules and their shipyards survived at least for a while” John Lundin, 40, explains at the backseat of his minivan while we drive from Legian Beach in Bali to Banuywangi at the eastern tip of Java.

“The creditors in Sweden told me at a time that I could keep one of the shipyards, if I just signed their papers. But I would have nothing to do with that. Of course I could se the signs at the walls. My family had build more than 200 patrol boats to Sweden and others Scandinavian countries plus a similar amount of leisure boats” John Lundin says.

It was clear to him that the boat story was a little like the shirts. 80 % of the close he used while fighting for his Swedish family business was produced in Asia. It would be the same with boats. If the Swede could transfer the Swedish quality to production in Indonesia he would be the king.

“Lizza and I left for her country and landed in Jakarta. When I looked around I was surrounded by experts in the issue “Indonesia”. Almost every single westerner knew everything from day one of their arrival to this very beautiful but also very difficult place”.

Pretty quickly John was fed up with all that. He wanted to learn “Indonesia” from scratch.

“I talked with Lizza. What do people make in your village” I asked her. Rice and wood. OK I thought. That could be a perfect place to start”, John Lundin say. We are still in the minibus on our six hours trip to Banuywangi in East Java.

John and Lizza were still in their twenties when they arrived in her village Sukowidi. And Lizza had been right. They produced rice and wood. The latter was doors to peoples own houses and when it went at the best they produced some tables or chairs in “local” quality.

After only half an hour in a restaurant and 7 hours in a minivan it’s clear for me that John has something with people. His huge body, his steady look at you, his a little subdued way to talk to you but still filled with confidence and curiosity he is making wonders just be being together with people.

It was the same at that time. 13 years younger but still equipped with respect, openness, and curiosity and the desire to learn.

And learn he did together with his wife Lizza.

“As a start I only wanted to learn to work in Indonesia. Rice and wood. Clearly I wasn’t a rice farmer so the wood was left for me”, John is smiling.

The Swede who only has a bachelor in economic from Oxford started to become an expert in wooden furniture’s. Soon he was exporting to IKEA and other important buyers in Sweden. Later the Swedish shipyards that was left back home became costumers as well.

In the middle of that business with approximately 200 employed in the village, John Lundin had a problem. His furniture’s were perfect when they left Indonesia but during the travel to Sweden they were damaged by humidity and mould.

“I started to solve my own problem but ended up with a proper business, namely the “Super Dry” own three patents. It worked for me and for other branches and with two other partners I opened a factory in Banuywangi. We had more than 200 people employed but most of the costumers were in China. So we moved the production to where most of our costumers are” explains John Lundin.

IKEA, H&M and hundreds of other companies shipping goods to Europe are among the costumers. Super Dry in runner by a British partner, John has no daily involvement in Super Dry. Right now John and his Super Dry partner are involved in the Thai property business. Together they are renovating four huge townhouses in Jomtien. Later they are going to open a hotel.

The time when John Lundin and his wife Lizza was ready to nurse his dream of building boats in Indonesia got closer and closer.

And in 2003 the couple was ready to register “PT Lundin Industry Invest” with production facilities in Sokuwidi in Banuywangi that was the backbone of North Sea Boats. Professional boat builders were hired to train the workers from John’s furniture production.

“Of course I had patrol boats in my mind but we started with Swedish designed Walk-Around fibreglass sports fishing boats” says John Lundin.

Things have now gone full circle as the model has been exported by North Sea Boats back to Sweden.

“When we talked about selling boats the prizes of transport to the end user is almost as much as the prize of the boat. I was thinking a lot about that problem. The cheapest way to transport what ever is by container. You fill up a container and then the goods arrive to the costumer as cheap as possible. It seems like nobody had combined designing boats to the size of a 40 foot container before I did that”. John Lundin is laughing.

So the Swede made logic to design reality.

The X2K was born.

It’s a seaworthy high- speed suited for pleasure, fishing, diving and not the least to the military. Since then there has been produced more than 30 X2K and also important they have all been delivered in a 40 food container.

But John’s background with his Farther Allan Lundin building patrol boats to police and army in Scandinavia still played with the Swede.

“A coupled of years after we sold the first X2K we painted one grey and launched at a military exhibition in Indonesia”, says John Lundin.

Since then him, his wife Lizza and PT Lundin has gone from strength to strength.

At that time Lizza had sort of backed out of the daily business. The couple never managed to become parents but here with the new contact to the Indonesian Navy you can say that Lizza got her self a different child. Namely the production and sale of patrol boats to the military.

“The entrance to the military was a whole new ballgame. The impertinence of Lizza can never be overvalued. With out her I would never ever have been able to do what we did. Its common stuffs that friendship and business goes together in Asia. But with the military that business culture is much more developed. For us Lizza became friends with the decision makers at the navy. They never talked business, but she made the important socializing with the wife’s of the generals”, says John Lundin.

While Lizza was busy making contacts with the navy John made his design department create an almost seven wonder if we talk about patrol boats. The X2K became first X2K Fast Interceptor and then the addition X2K RIB with the combination of a fibreglass body/ hull and a inflatable part. Plus night vision, special chairs designed in Sweden and so on.

The RIB ship from PT Lundin is qualified as a patrol ship and to ambush pirates.

And the container Principe was still working with these turnkey boats.

“The Indonesia navy was happy with what they got. Since the first delivery we have sold more than thirty boats to different military units or police. Malaysia and Singapore came next.

Together the two neighbouring countries bought more than 40 boats. Then Brunei followed, the same did WWF Indonesia, and we are still developing on the original X2K concept”. John Lundin says.

More than three years ago John had another lunch appointment with the head of the Indonesian Navy.
The latest PT Lundin product at the market is X-38 Patrol and combat Catamaran whose design was commissioned in-part by the Swedish Search and Rescue Service. The boat reaches a speed of 40 knots or approximately 100 kilometres per hour.

“At that meeting I was asked to come up with some very special. Something worthy coming after a proven success as X2K” says John Lundin. He also underlines the difficulties talking about a military project during the creative process.

But John tries to explain as much as he can without breaching any military secrets.

John looked around for a design with lots of speed. It was obvious that it had to be a trimaran. At that time some designers in New Zealand was designing a speed ghost called EarthRace. The boat later won the around the world race. EarthRace is proven the fastets boat ever designed and build.

“Lizza and I plus seven other staff went to New Zealand were we got the attention from day one. I asked them what would happen if we more the less made EartRace three or four times bigger. The answer was that the result would be much much better. The people behind the EarthRace very ready to take part in the development of a super patrol boat witch would almost be a competitor to the much more expensive Swedish patrol boat.

Three years after The Lundins first trip to New Zealand the couple has spend more than 5. mio. US dollars in design and development. Lesser than half of that amount has been sponsored by others.

“We have signed a contract with the Indonesian Navy on delivery of one trimaran patrol boat 60 metres long made in carbon glassfiber and we have the option of three more boats. The Americans have made a trimaran 120 metres long but in aluminium. The only sort of comparable boat at the market is Kockums Visby witch is more advanced but also much much more expensive”, John Lundin insures.

To day the production facilities are ready in Banuywangi. A 63 metres long hall has just enough space to the new project. Workers already prepare wood to make the skeleton to the carbon fibre boat. The carbon fibre witch is also used for production of airplanes and Formula One cars are 20 times stronger than steel.

Upstairs at the offices some of the world’s best on design of speedy boats do the best they can to make a difference.

“WE have done almost whatever to hire the absolute best available designer an engineers at the market. We have designers with experience from The America Cp, Volvo Ocean Race and have also hired experienced designers specialising in Patrol boats from Sweden”, says John Lundin.

While his biggest project is progressing he and his staff also have there creative fingers on some of the smallest boats John has ever had his hands on. Namely a patrol boat designed for rivers.

“The need of patrol boast is huge. The new product is for rivers. You just get it into a container and away you go. When the work is

done, back in the container and off it goes to the next places”, say John Lundin.

Scandasia.com

The reports emphasise that Indonesia is taking advantage of the difficult budget situation faced by European armed forces, seeking to purchase surplus equipment at favourable prices. This may include weapons systems from France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Spain.

INDONESIAN ARMY SEEKS PRIORITY ROLE IN DEFENCE MODERNISATION

Although the Defence Minister did not confirm a specific amount allocated to the government’s procurement plans, the Indonesian Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Pramono Edy Wibowo, announced in mid-November that the Army would receive more than IRP 14 trillion (approx. $15.3 billion; €11.6 billion) over the next three years.

In light of Indonesia’s efforts to modernise the inventory of its Armed Forces, Pramono told the Jakarta Post that “the President has decided, after four Cabinet meetings, that the Army should receive priority.” As the Defence Minister recently explained, the Ministry is currently waiting for wish lists from the country’s Army, Navy and Air Force.

The final budget to be allocated for weapons purchases will depend upon the equipment required by the individual branches, according to Purnomo. However, the Defence Minister emphasised that it would not exceed the targeted budget.

As the Jakarta Post reported, the Army already has a very precise idea of its procurement priorities: Pramono said that, among other planned purchases, the Army is particularly interested in buying 100 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks from the German Army for some $280 million, along with eight Apache helicopters valued at $25 million. As the head of the Indonesian Army confirmed, these purchases are expected to be complete by 2014.

At present, in terms of heavy armoured vehicles, the Indonesian Army relies on its large fleet of ageing French-built AMX-13 light tanks and a significantly smaller fleet of FV101 Scorpion armoured reconnaissance vehicles. To protect its vast territory,[1] in particular on its main islands Java, Sumatra, Borneo (shared with Brunei and Malaysia), and New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea), the Army needs to modernise its inventory.

INDONESIA INTERESTED IN GERMAN LEOPARD 2A6

The Leopard 2A6 has been in service with the German Army since March 2001, after upgrading existing Leopard 2 tanks of the A5 and A4 configuration. As yet, Singapore is the only Asian operator of the Leopard 2. In mid 2007, Indonesia’s neighbour introduced 102 German-surplus Leopard 2A4s into its service.

Despite Indonesia’s ambitious purchase plans and the German Armed Forces’ challenging budget situation, the deal could be overshadowed by German domestic political issues. Under the influence of the so-called Arab Spring uprisings in Northern African and Middle East countries, German politicians were entangled in July 2011 in a heated debate on arms export regulations, when the news of a major deal with Saudi Arabia for the purchase of 200 Krauss-Maffei Wegmann-built Leopard 2A7+ tanks emerged.

Although it might be an entirely different case, the announcement of a possible export of Leopard 2 tanks to Indonesia could come just a little too early after that debate, and future negotiations could be accompanied by political clamour in Germany.

However, considering the German Defence Ministry’s plans to fundamentally restructure its Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), which will require significant investment, and the Army’s long-standing experience in transferring surplus tanks to foreign partners, a possible agreement between Berlin and Jakarta is not likely to encounter any serious obstacles.

—-
By Nicolas von Kospoth, Managing Editor

Praktis, 5 tahun pertama semenjak kemerdekaan, rakyat Indonesia sibuk mengangkat senjata mempertahankan tanah air mereka. Kita mengenal dengan baik pertempuran dahsyat di Surabaya pada 10 November 1945, juga Bandung Lautan Api pada 1946, dan tentu saja Serangan Umum 1 Maret 1949 di Jogja.

Namun, banyak dari kita yang seringkali lupa, bahwa ditengah pulau Jawa, tepatnya di Ambarawa, berlangsung peperangan brutal antara TNI bersama rakyat melawan Sekutu yang dibantu tawanan-tawanan Jepang. Demikian brutalnya, hingga pertempuran berlangsung selama 4 hari terus menerus.

Pada tanggal 20 Oktober 1945 tentara Sekutu dibawah pimpinan Brigadir Jendral Bethell mendarat di Semarang dengan maksud mengurus tawanan Jepang yang berada di Jawa Tengah. Kedatangan sekutu ini diboncengi NICA. Mulanya kedatangan Sekutu disambut baik, bahkan gubernur Jawa Tengah Mr. Wongsonegoro menyepakati untuk menyediakan bahan makanan dan keperluan lain bagi kelancaran tugas Sekutu. Sekutu berjanji tidak akan mengganggu kedaulatan Republik Indonesia.

Namun ketika pasukan Sekutu dan NICA telah sampai di Ambarawa dan Magelang untuk membebaskan para tawanan, tentara Belanda justru mempersenjatai mereka sehingga menimbulkan amarah pihak Indonesia. Insiden bersenjata timbul di kota Magelang, hingga terjadi pertempuran. Di Magelang tentara Sekutu bertindak sebagai penguasa yang melucuti Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR) dan membuat kekacauan.

TKR resimen Magelang pimpian M. Sarbini membalas tindakan tersebut dengan mengepung tentara Sekutu dari segala penjuru. Namun Sekutu berhasil diselamatkan dari kehancuran berkat campur tangan presiden Sukarno yang menenangkan suasana. Kemudian pasukan Sekutu secara dian-diam meninggalkan kota Magelang menuju benteng Ambarawa. Resimen Kedu Tengah di bawah pimpinan Letnan Kolonel M. Sarbini segera mengadakan pengejaran terhadap Sekutu. Gerakan mundur tentara Sekutu tertahan di desa Jambu karena dihadang oleh pasukan Angkatan Muda di bawah pimpinan Ono Sastrodihardjo yang diperkuat oleh pasukan gabungan dari Ambarawa, Suruh, dan Surakarta.

Tentara Sekutu kembali dihadang di Ngipik. Tentara Sekutu mencoba menduduki dua desa disekitar Ambarawa. Tetapi pasukan Indonesia dibawah pimpinan Letnan Kolonel Isdiman berusaha membebaskan kedua desa tersebut. Pada pertempuran ini Letnan Kolonel Isdiman gugur.

Gugurnya Letkol Isdiman, membuat Komandan divisi V Banyumas Sudirman merasa kehilangan perwira terbaiknya sehingga ia langsung turun ke lapangan dan memimpin pertempuran. Kehadiran Kolonel Sudirman memberikan semangat baru kepada pasukan RI. Pengepungan terhadap musuh semakin ketat. Siasat yang diterapkan adalah serangan mendadak secara serentak di semua sektor.

Tanggal 23 November 1945 ketika matahari mulai terbit, mulailah terjadi tembak-menembak dengan pasukan Sekutu yang bertahan di kompleks gereja dan pekuburan Belanda di jalan Margo Agung. Tentara Sekutu mengerahkan tawanan-tawanan Jepang untuk menyusup dari arah belakang, karena itu pasukan Indonesia pindah ke Bedono. Pada tanggal 11 Desember 1945, Kolonel Sudirman mengadakan rapat dengan komandan sektor TKR dan Laskar.

Pada tanggal 12 Desember 1945 pukul 04.30 pagi, serangan mulai dilancarkan.

Pertempuran berkobar di Ambarawa. Satu setengah jam kemudian, jalan raya Semarang-Ambarawa dikuasai oleh kesatuan-kesatuan TKR. Pertempuran Ambarawa berlangsung sengit, Kolonel Sudirman langsung memimpin pasukannya yang menggunakan taktik pengepungan rangkap sehingga musuh benar-benar terkurung. Setelah bertempur selama 4 hari, pada tanggal 15 Desember 1945 pertempuran berakhir dan Indonesia berhasil merebut Ambarawa dan Sekutu dibuat mundur ke Semarang.

Tanggal 15 Desember, diperingati sebagai Hari Jadi Angkatan Darat! Dan kami takkan lupa Ambarawa.

Indobatt soldiers finished first in two of the four sporting events contested in the Sector East Inter Contingent Championship 2011, which comprised basket ball, volleyball, futsal and shooting competitions.

The games took place in South Lebanon.

Battalions from Spain (Spainbatt), India (Indbatt), Nepal (Nepbatt), Malaysia and Lebanon itself, all of which were part of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), also joined the games, Indobatt spokesman Major Banu Kusworo said in a press statement on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara state news wire.

Indobatt were named overall champions after winning the volleyball and shooting competitions, and finishing third in futsal and fourth in basket ball.

Spainbatt finished second, and Indbatt came third overall.

Indobatt was officially relieved of its duties in a discharge ceremony at its headquarters in Adshit Al Qusayr, South Lebanon, on Monday.

The unit has made arrangements to send the team of 135 back to Indonesia in six groups, leaving Lebanon between Nov. 21 and 30.

INDOBATT information officer Major Kusworo said from Lebanon Tuesday that the conclusion of the mission in Lebanon was marked with a transfer of authority in Adshit Al Qusayr, Southern Lebanon, on Tuesday.

In the military ceremony commander of Konga XXIII-E/UNIFIL Lt Col Hendy Antariksa handed over the tasks, authority and responsibilities to commander of Konga XXIII-F/UNIFIL Lt Col Suharto Sudarsono.

The military ceremony was preceded by the hand over of the UN Flag from Yonmek Task Force Commander of Konga XXIII-E/UNIFIL Lt Col Hendy Antariksa to UNIFIL East Sector Commander Brig Gen Guitierrez Diaz De Otazu as inspector of ceremoy.

Later Brig Gen Gugitierrez Diaz De Otazu hand over the UN Flag to Lt Col Suharto Sudarsono as the new commander. In his address, Brig Gen Guitierrez Diaz De Otazu expressed thanks and appreciation for the performance of Lt Col Hendy Antariksa in leading its unit for a year in the UN peacekeeping mission in Southern Lebanon.

And the one-star Spanish general also appreciated the Indobatt soldiers for their services in Lebanon. A similar expression was also made by UNIFIL East Sector Commander to commander of Konga XXIII-F Lt Col Suharto Sudarsono.

The ceremony was also attended by Indonesian ambassadcor to Lebanon Imas Samudra Rum, Indonesian Defense Attache for Egypt and Lebanon, Navy Colonel (P) Teguh Isgunarto, and Commander of Force Headquarters Support Unit (FHQSU) Col Darmawan Bakti.

Also at hand on the occasion were Deputy Commander of UNIFIL East Sector Col Marzuki, battalion commanders of UNIFIL East Sector, representatives of Lebanese Armed Forces, and local civil authorities. The Indonesian soldiers of Garuda Contingent XXIII-E/Unifil are returning to Indonesia in four stages on November 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, and 30.

ITS School of Marine Engineering Hydrodynamics Lab head Wisnu Wardhana said Tuesday in Surabaya that the funds would come from a research grant from the Education and Culture Ministry disbursed in stages; Rp 1 billion per year from 2011 to 2013.

“The submarine will have three combined functions. First, it can operate as a hydrofoil, where only the wings touch the water. Second, it can function as a surface ship, and third, it can also serve as a submarine,” Wisnu said, as quoted by kompas.com.

He said the submarine was named Crocodile-Hydrofoil, adding that his team had completed 20 percent of the construction process.

Wisnu also added that the submarine would be tested in the Madura Strait upon its targeted completion in 2013.

(The Jakarta Post)

Kekuatan udara suatu negara adalah pilar paling penting bagi pertahanan negara tersebut, bila kekuatan udaranya lemah, maka hampir mustahil sebuah negara mampu bertahan lama dalam menjaga kedaulatannya bila terjadi perang, apalagi menyerang negara lain yang kekuatan udaranya lebih kuat. Tidak heran, Singapura, setitik negeri kecil di Asia Tenggara mempunyai kekuatan udara maksimal, dan berencana membeli 100 JSF F-35, pesawat multifungsi terbaru dan tercanggih buatan AS. Meskipun mungkin tidak akan pernah dipakai perang, kekuatan udara Singapura akan menyebarkan efek yang menggetarkan dan menggentarkan. Hal ini akan sangat bermanfaat dalam positioning di ranah diplomasi.

Kalau melongok ke sejarah, bukti bukti pentingnya superioritas di udara diantaranya adalah sebagai berikut :

- Battle on Britain. Baik RAF maupun Luftwaffe waktu itu adalah dua kekuatan udara paling kuat di dunia. Luftwaffe (AU Jerman) bertempur habis-habisan dengan RAF (AU Inggris), sebelum akhirnya kalah. Setelah itu, kekuatan udara dan strategi AU Jerman praktis mudah ditebak, lebih lemah, dan tak pernah lagi mampu melawan kekuatan udara RAF, apalagi setelah USAF datang. Banyak yang meyakini, apabila RAF kalah waktu itu, tanah Inggris Raya akan jatuh ke tangan Hitler.

- Awal mula kekalahan Jerman. Semua orang mengakui bahwa Wehrmarcht (AD Jerman) waktu PD II teramat kuat, dengan personel yang gigih dan sangat terlatih, dan peralatan tempur yang tercanggih di jamannya. Namun semuanya terlihat sia-sia ketika mereka tidak mampu mengimbangi kekuatan udara Sekutu. Pabrik2 senjata mereka di hajar dari udara tanpa mampu melawan. Kota-kota industri utama Jerman juga tidak luput dari pemboman tanpa balas dari Sekutu.

- Kekalahan Korea Utara. Siapapun memahami bahwa Perang Korea adalah salah satu perang singkat yang paling dahsyat dan mematikan. Sebenarnya Korea Utara hampir memenangi peperangan. Namun suply logistik mereka yang dihancurkan melalui udara oleh pesawat2 tempur Amerika (disamping juga marinir AS), membuat kemenangan mereka hanya sesaat sebelum akhirnya didesak jauh ke utara.

Masih banyak contoh2 lain, namun intinya adalah bahwa dalam dunia modern seperti sekarang ini, kekuatan udara adalah mutlak untuk memenangi peperangan. Namun perlu diingat, bahwa kekuatan udara bukan hanya berarti jumlah dan teknologi pesawat tempur yang dimiliki, namun juga kualitas pilot, dan kekuatan penangkis serangan udara. Pada Perang Dunia II, Jepang sangat sering kalah dalam pertempuran udara melawan pasukan sekutu. Salah satu sebabnya adalah kurangnya stok pilot berpengalaman. Dan itu membawa malapetaka besar.

Indonesia, saat ini tengah bersemangat memperkuat armada tempur udaranya. Mulai dari Sukhoi SU-27, Sukhoi SU-30, dan beberapa heli tempur kini siap mengudara sewaktu-waktu. Menurut kabar terakhir, bahkan pemerintah Indonesia akan menambah 2 Skuadron Sukhoi pada 2014 (semoga kabar itu betul).

Disamping itu, perlu diapresiasi upaya Indonesia membangun sendiri kekuatan udaranya, dengan menggandeng Korea Selatan membangun pesawat siluman generasi 4.5 bernama KFX. Proses itu kini tengah berjalan, dan apabila seluruh prosesnya selesai, TNI AU akan memperoleh setidaknya 50 pesawat tempur KFX.

Namun perlu juga diingat sekali lagi, sebesar apapun kita membangun kekuatan udara kita, kemampuan keuangan cukup terbatas. Dan negara2 tetangga kelihatannya mempunyai lebih banyak dana untuk ditebar membeli pesawat-pesawat baru lebih banyak yang Indonesia mampu beli. Alangkah bijak juga bila Indonesia juga membangun secara sistematis dan masif, kekuatan penangkis serangan udara berupa rudal darat ke udara seperti Patriot-nya AS. Serangan udara bisa ditangkis dari udara, menghadangnya dengan pesawat fighters, atau ditangkis dari darat, dengan rudal. Sebagai orang awam, saya tidak faham apakah semua rudal akan dengan akurat menembak sasaran.

Apapun itu, kekuatan udara RI masih belum maksimal, dan belum memberikan efek menggetarkan dan menggentarkan. Ketika negara-negara tetangga berlomba mempersenjatai diri, ada baiknya opsi-opsi di atas dipertimbangkan. Toh, kalau perang darat, ratusan juta rakyat bisa mempertahankan kedaulatannya. Wallahua’lam.

Written for Good News From Indonesia by  Akhyari Hananto