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| Australian C-130 (File Photo) |
Annapolis—ARINC Aerospace today announced that it has successfully completed an extensive Programmed Depot Maintenance (PDM) project on a C-130H Hercules transport aircraft for the Indonesian Air Force.
Following months of significant structural and systems repair work at ARINC’s Aircraft Maintenance and Operations in Oklahoma City, OK, the 30-year-old transport plane was flown back to Halim Air Force Base (AFB) in Jakarta, Indonesia. After arrival, a ceremony was held on February 24 at which U.S. Ambassador Scot Marciel formally handed over the aircraft from the U.S. Government to the Indonesian Air Force.
Representatives from the U.S. Embassy, ARINC Aerospace, and the U.S. Air Force took part in the ceremony at Halim AFB. ARINC was represented by Larry Lamb, Marketing Director, and John Taylor, Vice President, Aircraft Integration, Modification and Maintenance (AIMM) Division. John Taylor remarked that “representatives ranging from the Indonesian Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff down to the crew members who ferried the aircraft were extremely happy and commented that it is now the best in their fleet.”
ARINC’s customer is the U.S. Air Force C-130 FMS Program Office, and the work represents one of the first awards in more than ten years for the Indonesian Air Force under the U.S. Air Force’s Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
“ARINC Aerospace is pleased and honored to have performed this work for the Indonesian Air Force, and we look forward to supporting their overall operational and mission goals in the future,” said Michael Young, ARINC Aerospace Vice President.
Indonesia consists of thousands of islands over a 3,000-mile range. The country’s C-130H aircraft are critical assets used primarily for humanitarian aid and rescue missions in this region prone to earthquakes and flooding. The work performed by ARINC Aerospace is an important first step in improving the Indonesian Air Force airlift capability, and the program was significant in the effort to improving U.S.–Indonesian relations.
Robert Moore, ARINC Aerospace Senior Director of Business Development, said, “We look forward to playing a key role in enhancing the capabilities of the Indonesian Air Force. This work demonstrates our range of capabilities as well as our determination to be a leader in military aircraft support.”