Indonesia Considering Buying Japan’s US-2 Amphibious Aircraft

Indonesian Defense Minister said Monday his government is considering the possibility of buying the US-2 amphibious aircraft from Japan.
The Indonesian defense minister said the US-2 is well suited for the geographical conditions of Indonesia, a country of thousands of islands.
Noting that both Japan and Indonesia are archipelagic countries that frequently have to contend with natural disasters like earthquakes.
Indonesia is seeking to strengthen its maritime forces, sea patrol functions and search and rescue operations in surrounding waters.
The US-2 can land on and take off from the sea. The aircraft is already in use by the Self-Defense Forces.
In March, Japan and Indonesia signed a defense agreement that stipulates cooperation in several sectors, including maritime cooperation and disaster management.
The US-2 is expected to be on the agenda when the two countries launch “two-plus-two” security talks between their defense and foreign ministers, according to diplomatic sources.
India is also considering purchasing the US-2.
Meanwhile, Indonesia is also assessing the possibility of purchasing the Be-200 multipurpose amphibious aircraft from Russia.
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