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C-130 Hercules

DID recently covered the to-and-fro over US weapons sales to Indonesia. The State Department and Defense Department lobbied for their resumption, the US Senate refused but gave the Secretary of State the power to issue a waiver in the interests of national security, and the US State Department promptly issued that waiver.

At the time, it was speculated that Indonesia’s first priority might be its F-16s, only 4 of which were still flyable. That’s still on the agenda, but in a display of smart politics, Indonesia’s top priority in its next budget is going to be C-130 Hercules tactical transport aircraft instead.

Still grounded.

According to Agence France Presse, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono says that “About 70 percent of next year’s armed forces budget will be allocated to buy more of the C-130 transport planes to bolster six other planes now used for military transport and relief efforts.” AFP should probably have been alert enough to realize that this meant 70% of this year’s armed forces equipment budget, as most militaries spend more than 30% (often far more) on personnel and salaries.

The C-130s will apparently remain at the top of the priority list for the next 5-10 years. Out of Indonesia’s original fleet of 24 planes, only 6 are still flyable as a result of Age and a long period of embargoed spares. Of those 6 flying aircraft, half were only put back into operation after the State Department issued a May 2005 waiver lifting the ban on military spare parts.

There was no word whether Indonesia’s focus will be on the older C-130H models, or on new and more expensive C-130J aircraft with improved performance.

With regard to F-5 and F-16 jet fighters and spares, Sudarsono noted that those efforts “will have to be adjusted with our main defense system program and our budget.” Translation: maybe later. If oil prices move higher, however, and the government senses a more receptive climate in the US, it’s possible that “later” may come sooner.