In a Bogor city, Indonesia's Atang Sendjaja airstrip event, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto officially delivered eight H225M heavy transport helicopters, a collaborative effort between PTDI and Airbus Helicopters, France.
The ceremony also inaugurated the region's most advanced full-flight simulator.
The helicopters offer features for diverse missions, including special operations, search and rescue, medical evacuation, maritime surveillance, and aerial fire support.
Indonesia has been looking to boost its fleet to eventually replace some of its older helicopters, as well as add to the new ones that have begun coming online over the past few years, including the Bell 412EP helicopters, according to GlobalData's intelligence on the Indonesian Defense Market 2023-2028.
The handover ceremony, attended by high-ranking officials, commenced with Minister Prabowo expressing his commitment to improving military equipment and services.
"I, along with the entire ranks, will fight hard to improve the conditions of alutsistas and the services you need. Looking for good equipment and maintenance in order to have a reliable, superior, resilient and strong Air Force," said Minister Prabowo.
Indonesia's burgeoning defence budget, forecast to reach $9.7 by 2028, is predominantly channelled into air-focused initiatives, according to GlobalData. The nation's drive for defence modernization and the need to address natural disasters and counter-terrorism challenges emphasizes a significant focus on military aviation.
The event's highlight was the unveiling the full flight simulator H225M, positioned as the only one in Southeast Asia qualified based on FAA regulations. The simulator, built at Lanud ATS, is a leap in pilot training capabilities.
The H225M helicopters has a modular design, advanced avionics, and a Turbomeca MAKILA 2A1 power plant to ensure high performance and safety. After a ceremonial process, including key handover and helicopter inspection, the minister inaugurated the full flight simulator by signing an inscription.
The occasion witnessed the presence of guests, including TNI Kasum, Pangkoopsudnas, and representatives from the Ministry of State-owned enterprises, Len, the French Embassy, and Airbus. Indonesia's acquisition of these assets marks a moment in reinforcing its Air Force capabilities.
PT DI has previously collaborated with Airbus Military and Airbus Helicopters. In a $325m (€302m) agreement, PT DI partnered with Airbus Military to supply nine C295 military transport aircraft. Concurrently, Airbus Helicopters delivered the first EC725 medium transport helicopters to Indonesia.
