By: Mike Yeo
MELBOURNE, Australia — Indonesia’s armed forces chief has played down reports that the country will be buying the Airbus A400M Atlas strategic airlifter.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Indonesia’s armed forces chief has played down reports that the country will be buying the Airbus A400M Atlas strategic airlifter.
Speaking after a meeting of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) leadership in Jakarta, TNI commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo was quoted by Indonesia’s state news agency Antara as saying there have been no developments since Indonesian President Joko Widodo was last briefed on the aircraft, adding that the president did not agree with the decision to acquire the A400M at the time.
The general was responding to reports last week that the Indonesian House of Representatives' commission on defense, intelligence and foreign affairs, Komisi I, had approved a budget of $2 billion for the acquisition of five A400Ms.
The approval was reportedly conditional upon the final three airframes undergoing final assembly at the facilities of state-owned aerospace firm PT Dirgantara in Bandung on Indonesia’s main island of Java, as well as Indonesian engineers being allowed to study and train on the assembly of various major aircraft components for the first two airframes at Airbus in Seville, Spain.
Airbus declined to comment when asked by Defense News about Indonesia’s interest in the A400M. However, Indonesian defense watchers told Defense News they concurred that Widodo and TNI leadership have yet to warm to any acquisition of the A400M.
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