อีกทีนึงก็คือ ข่าวที่ออกมาในสื่อตปท.ว่าอินโดนิเซียกำลังเจรจาจัดหา F-16C/D 6 ลำนั้น อาจจะล้มไปแล้วหรือไม่ก็ไม่ประสบความสำเร็จครับ เนื่องจากปัญหาหลายๆ  ประการ โดยเฉพาะอย่างยิ่ง กลาย ๆ คนกลัวว่าจะอินโดเกิดอะไรขึ้นมาอีกแล้วโดนคว่ำบาตรอีกรอบ ก็ซวยไปเลย ตอนนี้จึงยังต้องรอความชัดเจนต่อไปครับ

03/04/08 20:51
US offer to sell F-16 to RI receives mixed reactions
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/3/4/us-offer-to-sell-f-16-to-ri-receives-mixed-reactions/

By Suharto

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The US offer to sell F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters to Indonesia has received mixed reactions from the defense, information and foreign affairs commission in the House of Representatives (DPR) with some of its members urging the government to be wary of the offer.

Some of them questioned the motives behind the offer as it came when Russia and China were trying to forge military ties with Indonesia.

What are the motives behind the US offer? I wonder, because nothing in the world is free. The US made the offer not because they are generous, Andreas Pareira, one of the House commission members, said at a working meeting with Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono here on Monday.

Pareira asked the government to look into the motives behind the offer.

The House had never recommended the purchase of US-made F-16s because of various considerations, particularly the threat of embargoes, another House commission member, Permadi, said.

The US imposed an arms embargo on Indonesia in protest against its military`s alleged involvement in the post-UN ballot mayhem in East Timor in 1999. Washington partly lifted the embargo in 2005.

Permadi said the US and its allies had often discriminated between countries favoring and opposing their policies.

The House had only recommended that the government go ahead with its plan to buy more Russian-made Sukhoi jet fighters to improve its air force`s combat capabilities, he said.

Calls for the government to buy more Russian-made aircraft had mounted since the country bought two Sukhoi Su-27 jet fighters and two Su-30MKs five years ago. But budget constraints remain an obstacle. The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) plans to form two squadrons of Sukhoi jet fighters by 2010.

Mutammimul Ula, who is also a member of the House commission, said last month the government must be very careful in responding to the US offer and to think it over from all important aspects before accepting it.

The government had to make technical and strategic considerations before accepting the offer, he said.

Not only did it have to consider the financial aspect, but also the fact that its jet fighters were relatively old, compared to those of neighboring Singapore, he said.

He expected the government to be very careful and watchful toward the attractive offer, not to regret later on because of fatal consequences.

Indonesia should not buy second-hand aircraft whose combat capabilities were no longer high while their maintenance had become costly, he said.

Of equal importance was a political guarantee from the US government that it would never again impose a spareparts embargo on Indonesia in the future, he said.

Past experience should be a good lesson for us, because the US embargo rendered our jet fighters useless, he added.

Happy Bone Zulkarnaen of the Golkar Party faction asked the government not to fall for US promises. We must never fall to US promises that may contain traps. The government must show it has the freedom to determine from which country it will buy armaments.

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said after a meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last month that the US was ready to offer support and training for Indonesia`s ongoing military reforms and help it update its fleet of military transport aircraft.

Gates said the US was prepared to help Indonesia in whichever way possible, citing the close relations between the two nations in recent years.

Strengthening its relationship with Indonesia was very important to the US, not just in a regional context but also in terms of the role Indonesia might be able to play more broadly, he said.

Juwono told the press after accompanying Gates at the meeting with the president that he would consider the US offer.

But Juwono said at a working meeting with the House Commission I on Monday Indonesia would not buy six F-16 Fighting Falcon jet fighters.

Our budget is not enough. So, even if there is no objection we cannot afford to buy them, he said.

He said Indonesia would only consider refurbishing six F-16 A/B variants owned by its Air Force (TNI-AU).

It largely depends on the TNI AU`s budget whether it can refurbish its combat armaments as a strike force, he said.

Asked what he thought of the House commission`s call for the government to be wary of the US offer to sell new F-16 C/D variant to Indonesia, he said the Defense Ministry would remain watchful toward all offers from arms producers including the US.

I have asked the TNI-AU to consider and select the main armament systems it will need, including the wish to procure F-16 C/D variants. To be sure, it is impossible to buy F-16 C/D variants. The most possible thing is refurbishing F-16 A/B variants which have long been grounded, he said.

Meanwhile, Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Subandrio who was also present at the working meeting said the TNI AU was still waiting for the budget to refurbish the F-16 A/B variants it procured in 1989.

We have already put it (refurbishing F-16 A/B variants in our program. But the budget is not yet available, he said.

Commander of the Iswahyudi Air Base Commodore Dede Rusamsi said last month a squadron of F-16 jet fighters at the air base was in good condition although they were 18 years old.

A problem would arise if one of the F-16 spareparts malfunctioned, he said.

He said although the US had lifted its F-16 sparepart embargo on Indonesia, the TNI-AU was still meeting with difficulties in buying spareparts. The US does not complicate the purchase but the procedure we must pass through is not easy. ()

COPYRIGHT ฉ 2008

อีกเรื่องหนึ่งก็คือ เรื่องฮ.โจมตีกลางคืนของฟิลิปปินส์ครับ หลังจากที่ล้ม deal เซึ่งเป็นการจัดหา MD-530 จำนวน 6 ลำด้วยข้อหาสินค้าไม่ตรงสเปกนั้น มาวันนี้กลับกลายเป็นว่าทอ.ฟิลิปปินส์บอกว่าจะจัดหา MD-530 จำนวน 14 ลำ ในงบประมาณที่เพิ่มมากขึ้น .... เอื๊อหือ บ้านเรามีแต่ล้มแล้วเลิกหรือไม่ก็มาน้อยกว่าที่เป็น .... แต่งานนี้มาแปลกวู้ย ล้มแล้วซื้อมากขึ้น ..... แต่ว่าถ้าเกิดว่าทอ.ฟิลิปปินส์ประกาศโต้ง ๆ มาแล้วว่าจะเอา MD-530 นั้น ก็ไม่รู้ว่า PZL จะว่ายังไง เพราะลักษณะนี้คงไม่ใช่การประกาศ Tender หรือ ประกาศ RFP แต่มันคือการจัดซื้อโดยตรงเลยแฮะ

MORE AIRCRAFT BEING BOUGHT BY THE AIR FORCE

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P3.2-B budgeted for purchase of 14 attack choppers

By Alex Villanueva

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, March 2

Some P3.2 billion has been allocated by the government to enable the acquisition of 14 attack helicopters by the Philippine Air Force (PAF), it was learned on Sunday.

At the same time, Lt. General Pedrito Cadungog, chief of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) disclosed that up to 25 reconditioned T-41 trainer aircraft will be delivered and commissioned into the fleet within the current year.

Speaking before members of the local press, Cadungog also revealed that in 2009, the PAF will be acquiring several Italian-made SF-260 aircraft to boost the Armed Forces of the Philippines air-to-ground support capability, in connection with its anti-insurgency and anti-terrorism campaign.

He said the P3.2 billions earmarked for the AFPs modernization program, will be used to purchase 14 MD-530 choppers, which is an upgraded version of the MD-520s that the PAF is currently using.

The new aircraft being processed will all be equipped with night attack capabilities, rockets, machineguns and has a bigger payload, the PAF chief said.

However, he said that the PAF has decided to shelve its earlier plan to purchase for P1.2 billions, six attack helicopters due to some questions on its specification.

Under the AFP’s Capability Upgrade Program, the PAF is looking to fortify its air power with the set acquisition of new utility and attack helicopters.

The Air Force has also opened bidding for makers of utility helicopters and fixed-wing light-lift aircraft to augment PAFs aging fleet of the American-made UH-1H helicopter, currently the militarys workhorse.

At the same forum, Cadungog disclosed that preparations are afoot to file a case for Breach of Contract against a contractor who unilaterally withdrew from an agreement earlier agreed with the AFP, to transport construction materials for the rehabilitation of the Rancudo Airfield in the Pag-Asa Island at the disputed Spratlys chain in the South China Sea.

He said the contractor, whose identity he opted to withhold, had in fact demanded P100 million for the rehabilitation of the Rancudo Airfield in the 32-hectare Pag-asa Island, but the AFP and the Department of National Defense is insisting on the P31-millions earlier contract beeing honored.

Pag-asa is the lone island barangay of Kalayaan, Palawan. It is located in the South Chaina Sea, about 800 kilometers west of this city.

The urgent necessity to rehabilitate the airfield came about because giant waves and the rising sea level have been eroding the airstrip.

Pag-asa island is being considered by the AFP and the Department of Tourism (DOT) as a potential tourist destination, once it gets fully developed.

Last year, the military installed on Pag-asa island a P13-million mobile water treatment facility, which now provides clean drinking water to its civilian residents and the soldiers.

It was reported that the island is now equipped with power generators, weather stations and a communication tower built by Smart Telecommunications.

It will be recalled that on June 11, 1978, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos formally annexed to the territory of the Philippines, the Kalayaan group of islands, by virtue of Presidential Decree No.1596.

Thus, a distinct and separate municipality known as “Kalayaan” was created under the political jurisdiction of the Province of Palawan, but under the custody of the DND.

China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the reported oil-rich Spratlys.