Indonesia to produce missiles with Chinahttp://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=4468215:42 AEST Thu Sep 1 2005
AAP
AP - Indonesia is considering jointly producing short-range missiles with China, the defence minister said, while expressing hope that Washington would further ease restrictions on military-to-military ties.
Juwono Sudarsono said all but four of Indonesia's F-16 fighter planes have been grounded since the United States cut military contacts with Jakarta six years ago, describing that as barely enough "to provide an adequate deterrent force."
He said he was fairly optimistic the US Congress would soon make it possible for Indonesia to get the spare parts required to repair five or six of its grounded planes.
In the meantime, Indonesia is considering jointly producing short-range missiles with China after 2009 that "we hope will be able to support our military defences," he said in an interview.
"We are planning for about 10 to 15 missiles" with a range of 150 to 200 kilometres, the defence chief said.
The missiles would be placed on several Indonesian islands "to create some credible defence," he said, adding that the sprawling archipelago is also looking at India as a possible source of military supplies.
The US Congress cut military contacts with Jakarta in 1999 when Indonesian soldiers were blamed for widespread killing in East Timor after the territory voted for independence.
The Bush administration wants the ban lifted, arguing that Washington should be supporting the world's most populous Muslim nation and a key battleground in its fight on terror.
Sudarsono said at present Indonesia is looking at Ukraine and Russian, and possibly China, for strike aircraft design.
"But we would prefer to maintain and revive our relationship with the US, because the F-16 is basically the standard of most ASEAN countries," he said.
He said Indonesia also needs more C-130 transport planes, "not only to move troops within the country ... but also to ferry assistance for national or man-made disasters."
The US and Indonesian militaries worked side by side in the aftermath of the December 26 tsunami distributing emergency food and water and rescuing survivors in the hard-hit province of Aceh on Sumatra Island.
In addition, several joint programs and training exercises between the two forces have been held over the last two years and limited sales of military equipment to Indonesia are now also permitted.
But Congress and human rights groups have rejected full normalisation because of the failure of Indonesia to punish anyone in connection with the killings in East Timor and concerns about human rights abuses by the military.
©AAP 2005
