Madiun, E Java (Antara Bali) - Two units of fighter aircraft F-16 C/D-52ID, a grant from the United States, arrived and landed at the Iswahjudi air force base in Magetan, East Java on Monday.
Chief of staff of Air Force Operation Command II, Air Vice Marshal Donny Ermawan said the two fighter planes were part of 24 units of F-16 fighter aircraft in the program of "Peace Bima Sena II" under the contract of FMS LOA ID-D-SAL between the governments of Indonesia and the United States .
"The two units are the fifth of six deliveries planned under the "Foreign Military Sale" program with code name of Peace Bima Sena II," Donny Ermawan told reporters.
He said actually there should be four units of F-16 to be flown in from the United States in the fifth delivery , but only two already arrived at the Iswahjudi air force base in Magetan. The other two units are still at the Anderson Air Force Base (AFB) in Guam. The plan is they would be flown to Magetan on March 22.
The two aircraft were flown directly from the United States to Indonesia, via the route of Hill Air Force Base (AFB) Utah with transit at Hickam AFB Hawaii and Anderson AFB Guam, before flying to Magetan or a total flight time of 23 hours.
The two units already arrived , brought the number to 16 units of F-16 C/D 52ID in Indonesia. The aircraft have been upgraded.
"The aircraft will strengthen the Air Squadron 3 of Iswahjudi air force base of Magetan and Air Squadron 16 in the Roesmin Nurjadin air force base of Pekanbaru," he said.
By the end of 2017, all of the aircraft as grant would arrived in the country.
The two aircraft were flown here by an American and an Indonesian pilots. (WDY)
