Lockheed Martin: US Will Approve if Indonesia Buys Full Package of Latest F-16 Jets
BY :HERU ANDRIYANTO
MAY 29, 2021
Jakarta. Defense and technology company Lockheed Martin has confirmed that the United States government will not stand in the way if Indonesia acquires the latest version of F-16 fighter jets and their advanced weaponry system.
The Indonesian Air Force has been operating F-16 for decades and another procurement of the multi-role jets will be much more cost-effective for the country’s long-term defense program, according to Mike Kelley, the company’s director for F-16 business development.
Lockheed Martin is offering Indonesia F-16 Block 72 jets, the latest version of the F-16 with “cutting-edge technology in the most advanced F-16 configuration on the market today”.
“If Indonesia chose an aircraft other than the F-16, it would be much more costly to build up that new ecosystem to support another platform, from infrastructure on the ground, to training of pilots and maintenance crews,” Kelley said in a recent interview with a number of Indonesian media outlets including The Jakarta Globe.
“With the F-16, that infrastructure and knowledge is already there. This saves significant cost as well as time it takes to get up to speed.”
He said the US government remains the decision-maker in arms exports and in this case Indonesia has been given the green light.
“Indonesia has been approved by the US government to receive all advanced Block 72 capabilities and weapons requested by the IDAF [Indonesian Air Force], including the advanced AESA radar,” he said, adding that Lockheed Martin is not part of that decision-making process.
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Indonesia has expressed interest in acquiring F-16 Block 72 jets since 2019.
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