Air force indonésienne

The Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (" national army indonésienne force aérienne") is the air force of the Republic of Indonesia.

Its manpower are of 28.000 men (2007).

The air force indonésienne is the object of an embargo of the United States since violences which followed a referendum to Eastern Timor, where nearly 80% of the population had voted in favor of independence. This embargo in particular nailed on the ground its General Dynamics F-16 Falcon and A-4 Skyhawk, which constitutes nearly 80% of its fleet of combat.

In answer to the embargo, Indonesia bought 2 Soukhoï Known-27 Flanker and 2 Soukhoï Known-30 Flanker-D in 2003.

History

When the Guerre of the Pacific bursts in 1941, there are in all the the Indies Dutchwomen only two pilots Indigène S in the colonial air force, the Militaire Luchtvaart or ml (" aviation militaire"). One of both is the lieutenant Adisutjipto (of which the International airport of Yogyakarta bears the name). The other controls dies when its B-10 Glenn Martin is abbatu by a Japanese hunter with broad of the Malayan Péninsule. Adisutjipto, affected a squadron of recognition, will survive. He will be the only pilot available when the air force indonésienne is founded on April 9th, 1946 under the name of Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia or AURI (" air force of the Republic of Indonésie"). As a comparison, India has 1.000 pilots when it becomes independent in 1947. There were others pilot, but their formation was not all apparatuses. On the other hand, the AURI had inherited a hundred apparatuses of Japanese drive Kawanishi K5Y1 " Churen".

After the formal transfer of sovereignty of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Indonesia in 1949 to $the Hague, the AURI recovers the material and the installations of the ml. Its fleet is thus composed of:

36 transport aircraft Douglas C-47 Dakota,
22 bombers North American B-25 Mitchell,
22 hunters North American P-51 Mustang,
18 observation aircrafts Auster AOP 9,
40 planes of drive North American AT-6 Harvard,
5 seaplanes PBY-5 Catalina,
26 planes of drive Vultee BT-13 Valiant and
4 transport aircraft Lockheed L-12.

The AURI buys then 10 bombers Martin B-26 Marauder to replace B-25. It sends also 60 officers in formation to the United States. At the time of the Conference Afro-Asian of Bandung in 1955, the air force indonésienne is most powerful of Southeast Asia.

In 1958 bursts the separatist rebellion of PRRI/Permesta with Padang (Western Sumatra) and Manado (Northern of Célèbes), supported by the United States. Indonesia is struck of an American embargo. Indonesia then turns to the Soviet Union and acquires bombers twin-jet aircrafts Tupolev You-16. In addition, the Popular republic of China places at the disposal 12 bombers Tupolev You-2, 24 hunters bombers Lavockhin La-11s and 12 hunters Mig-17 Mikoyan-Gourevitch. Lastly, the Soviet Union also delivers to Indonesia its most modern hunter, the Mig-21 Mikoyan-Gourevitch, making air force indonésienne the only one of the southern hemisphere have aircraft able to fly to Mach 2.

The situation will change after the movement of September 30th, 1965 and the repression anticommunist which follows. Indonesia joins again with the United States but is involved in debt so much that it must reduce its budget of defense. Moreover, the implication of the air force in the movement (six generals had been removed and taken along to the air base of Halim close to Jakarta) made it suspect to the eyes of the new mode of Soeharto, resulting from the Army.

Gradually, the Soviet material of origin worsens fault of spare parts. The air force will be finally authorized to re-equip itself. It acquires American planes of drive T-33, hunters F-86 Saber Royal Australian Air Force, planes of connection and attack on the ground Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, A-4E Skyhawk of the Israeli Air force, hunters BAE Hawk, F-5E /F Tiger II and finally of the F-16 A/B.

Organization

The air force indonésienne is organized in 2 operational commands, one established with the air base of Halim in Jakarta, the other with Makassar in the southern of Célèbes.

Float

The air force indonésienne has 250 apparatuses, including some 70 fighters and 63 helicopters.

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