Indonesia develops gunship variant of CN-235 aircraft

Indonesian manufacturer PT Dirgantara (PTDI) has begun work on a gunship variant of the CN-235 twin-engine multipurpose aircraft.
The aircraft, which is based on the company’s CN-235-220 airframe, is being developed as a demonstrator platform, and will be marketed to potential customers in the Middle Eastern, African, and Central and Southeast Asian regions.
The aircraft is being modified to carry one single-barrelled 30 mm DEFA 553 aircraft cannon on the portside aft of its fuselage. The weapon has been salvaged from a retired Douglas A-4H Skyhawk that was formerly in service with the Indonesian Air Force.
The DEFA 553 cannon has a muzzle velocity of 810 m/s, and can fire up to 1,200 rds/min at both air and surface targets. There are also plans to complement this weapon with electro-optical targeting systems and a laser designator. However, the company has yet to decide on systems that will be selected for these roles on the demonstrator.
Other differences that the gunship demonstrator will feature over earlier versions of PTDI’s CN-235 include using General Electric (GE) CT7-9 turboprop engines, instead of the older CT7-7. The aircraft has also been built with wingtip devices to improve the aircraft’s overall fuel efficiency.
janes

Airbus Dispatches A400M to Indonesia in Showcase of Platform's Capabilities

Airbus is currently in the process of flying out an A400M Atlas multirole aircraft to Indonesia in a showcase of the platform's capabilities, sources within the Indonesian Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia: TNI) has confirmed with Jane's on 1 March.
The aircraft will be landing at the Indonesian Air Force's (TNI-AU's) Halim Perdanakusuma base near South Jakarta, where guided tours of the platform's features will be given to senior military and government officials on 6 March.
The A400M is currently a front runner in Jakarta's bid to improve its military airlift capabilities. Jane's first reported in January 2017 that the Indonesian House of Representatives' commission on defence, intelligence, and foreign affairs (Komisi I) had approved a sum of USD2 billion to procure up to five A400M platforms, although a contract for the acquisition has yet to materialise.
The funding has been allocated with the condition that the final three airframes undergo final fit-out at state-owned PT Dirgantara's facilities in Bandung, in a bid to transfer expertise to local aerospace industry players. Once a contract materialises, the A400M is expected to be ordered in the transport and utility configuration.
defense-studies

Indonesia approves acquisition of five Airbus A400Ms

Indonesia has approved a sum of USD2 billion for the acquisition of five Airbus A400M Atlas multirole aircraft to boost the country's military airlift capabilities, multiple sources from within Indonesia's government and defence industry confirmed to IHS Jane's on 18 January.
The airframes will be acquired in the transport and utility configuration, and will be operated across the Indonesian Air Force's (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Udara: TNI-AU's) Aviation Squadrons 31 and 32.
The acquisition, which received an official greenlight from the Indonesian House of Representatives' commission on defence, intelligence, and foreign affairs (Komisi I) in mid-January 2017, was approved with the condition that the final three airframes undergo final fit-out at state-owned PT Dirgantara's facilities in Bandung.
janes

Indonesia Press says Spanish offer of Eurofighter Typhoon is the best choice for Indonesia Air Force

Spain stressed on Wednesday that the Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighter is the best choice for Indonesia to modernize its air force when it comes to technical capabilities and the transfer-of-technologies offer.
Spanish Ambassador to Indonesia said that the Typhoon might be more expensive than its competitors, but it offers a better operational cost over the jet fighter’s life cycle of some 30 years.
The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) made it public that it wanted to replace its ageing F-5 E/F Tiger IIs with Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35s, Currently, TNI AU operates a mixed fleet of Su-27s and Su-30s in the 11th squadron.
Engines for the Flankers, however, have a very short lifetime when compared to Western-built jet fighters.
Another strong contender is the single-engine Swedish-built SAAB Gripen, while both the Flanker and Typhoon are twin-engine jet fighters.
Gripen is a good fighter, but not the best for Indonesia considering the vast airspace and maritime space to be covered.
“With the Typhoon’s range of operations, you can cover the entire Indonesian air space".
Ambassador said the cooperation started between PT Industri Pesawat Terbang Nurtanio (IPTN) and Construcciones Aeronauticas Sociedad Anonima (CASA) in the 1970s to build the C-212 Aviocar light transport aircraft. The aircraft is licence-built and was given the designation NC-212 in Indonesia. Now the production of this type is located solely in Bandung as the Spaniards are focusing on bigger aircraft types.
PT IPTN is now known as PT Dirgantara Indonesia, while CASA is now part of Airbus Defense and Space.
thejakartapost

Indonesia’s Research and Technology Application Agency to produce UAV for TNI-AU

Technology from Indonesia’s Research and Technology Application Agency (BPPT) will be used to produce surveillance drones for the Air Force this year.
BPPT head said the agency has been developing the Wulung, a type of unmanned aerial vehicle, since 2004, in collaboration with state-owned companies Dirgantara Indonesia and LEN Industri. He said the drone will be ready to be mass produced this year to fulfill the needs of one squadron of the Indonesian Air Force.
Aircraft manufacturer Dirgantara Indonesia will produce the drones using BPPT technology.

thejakartaglobe

Indonesia displays new C295

An Indonesian air force Airbus Military C295 medium transport has made its air show debut on the static line at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace exhibition in Malaysia.
The aircraft, designated the CN295 in Indonesian service, is part of a nine-aircraft order signed during the Singapore air show in February 2012. An initial batch of two aircraft was delivered in late 2012.
When it announced the CN295 deal, Airbus Military said state-owned PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) would manufacture the type's tail empennage, as well as its rear fuselage and fuselage panels. A final assembly line for the programme's final two aircraft will be in Indonesia and PTDI will also establish a service centre for the airlifter.
PTDI hopes to subsequently secure follow-on orders for the type from the Indonesian air force, as well as the nation's police service, which could require two examples to use as transports.
flightglobal

Airbus Military and PT Dirgantara Indonesia Sign Agreement to Launch Upgraded Version of C212

Airbus Military and PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) have signed an agreement to jointly launch an upgraded version of the Airbus Military C212-400 as a further step in their long term cooperation agreement. The aircraft will be renamed as NC212
airbusmilitary