Source: Lembaga pertahanan Strategis
I said, keep going. I dont think we are wealthy and generous enough for giving the money to SK without get anything. we know this thing will be burdensome for our budget in next few year. But, there's nothing we can do right know since we also need to muscle up our Air force. we need to calm down little bit like what japan did when they trying to build their own fighter but then only to realize US tricks them to leave their effort and develop the F-16 version instead.
That is true during 2020 Mindef position regarding KFXIFX is not positive, but this position is not taken from Indonesian KFX IFX team, there is communication problem between the engineering team with Mindef that some what has that not supportive position already since he become Defense Minister, so it is understandable when our design team that has completed KFX IFX design with Korean within late 2019 has come home in March 2020 and production enginner that suppose to be send for prototype manufacturing are not sent.
Benefits of the program
I have a discussion with a senior Indonesian KFX IFX enginneers and he said the program is very beneficial and I have explained it why in previous post like having one prototype that will be used as experiment platform, evaluating the design that has been worked since 2011 until around end of 2019 with actual performance during flight test, until reverse engineers of subsystem with the cooperation of another companies like LEN Industry, InfoGlobal, Nusantara Turbin, and could be university like ITB.
It also include new knowledge in manufacturing where many part will use composite and titanium raw materials, more advance engineering method that we can try to adopt in PTDI that could mean revolutioning our manufacturing that could make us produce plane much faster than current rate where 1 plane take 2 years to finish. Boeing and Airbus can make 1 plane within 3 months for example.
The team acknowledge to have learn 70 % new knowledge while 30 % are restricted technology.
2020 and beginning of 2021 situation
So it is hard for both PTDI and the team to talk about supporting the program to media or other minister within governemtn when Mindef as the owner of the program is not supportive on the program at that time. How come you are against your own boss decision, to make you understand the situation during that time.
The moment when the decision become positive
This then turn around when the KFX IFX team from Indonesia has a meeting with Mindef during DAPA visit in Jakarta. They try to give explanation more deeper about the program and the benefit for Indonesia.
Regardless of that, some birrocracy hurdle still takes place that make the explanation was given by DI director instead of KFX IFX team directly, as we know DI Director is not an aerospace engineers and comes from PT PELNI which is a state owned transportation and now also a logistic company.
After the explanation then Mindef is AlhamduliLLAH agree to go ahead. So basically the turn is quite new.