전투기 Re: 인도네시아, 카타르 미라지 2000 도입 취소

[위종민]

인도네시아가 카타르에서 중고 미라지 2000-5 전투기 12기를 구입하기로 했던 계약을 예산 부족을 이유로 취소했습니다. 

이 거래는 프라보워 수비안토 인도네시아 국방장관이 직접 추진하고 있었고, 야당은 기술지원이 3년으로 제한돼 있는 등의 문제를 거론해왔는데 최근 수비안토 국방장관이 이 구매와 관련해 부패 사건에 연루되었다고 하네요. 

딱 봐도 와이로가 오갔을 것 같은 거래였는데 국방부장관이 여기저기 기름칠하기엔 돈과 시간이 모자랐나 봅니다. 

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/indonesia-cancels-mirage-plans-corruption

Indonesia cancels Qatari Mirage 2000 order amid corruption allegations

BYCLEMENT CHARPENTREAU

2024-02-12

2 MINUTE READ

U.S. Air Force photo

The Indonesian Ministry of Defense announced that it had canceled the purchase of 12 second-hand Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar due to budget constraints.  

In June 2023, the Indonesian government said it planned to purchase the aircraft from the Qatari Emir’s Air Force for €680 million ($732 million). The 2000-5 is an air superiority variant of the aircraft developed by Dassault Aviation in the 1970s.

The Indonesian Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto, defended the project, arguing that the aircraft were needed as an interim measure while awaiting the delivery of 42 Rafale jets ordered directly from Dassault Aviation. The minister claimed that the Qatari Mirage fleet still had approximately 70% of its total flight hours. 

However, the opposition criticized the plan to purchase the Mirage 2000 and pointed out the lack of long-term availability of spare parts, maintenance, and repairs for the aircraft. Per the contract, the support service guarantee was limited to three years. 

Earlier in January 2024, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, a spokesperson for the minister, revealed that the government postponed the Mirage 2000-5 order due to financial limitations. Days later, the final tranche of 18 Rafale fighters officially entered into force after the first payment for the last batch was made.   

Indonesia triggers final tranche of 18 Rafale fighters

• DEFENSE

BYCLEMENT CHARPENTREAU

2024-01-09

Corruption allegation ahead of Indonesia’s presidential election 

A recent article published on the MSN portal suggested Subianto was involved in a corruption case related to this purchase. According to the article, the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption monitoring body, opened an investigation into Excalibur International, a Czech company involved in the order negotiations. 

Simanjuntak has rejected the accusations and claimed that the article was an attempt to manipulate the public before the presidential election scheduled for February 14, 2024. The current defense minister is one of the candidates in the election. The incriminating article has since been taken down. 

Speaking to local news portal detikFinance, Simanjuntak has announced that the Mirage 2000-5 purchase project has been altogether canceled, arguing that corruption claims were baseless. The ministry spokesperson stated that budget constraints had led to the decision to cancel the plan and that the focus will now be on modernizing the existing aircraft to maintain the country’s air capabilities. 

The Indonesian Air Force maintains a fleet comprising roughly 50 F-16 A/Bs and C/Ds, alongside approximately 10 Russian Su-27SKM and Su-30 fighters. In addition to filling a capacity gap, the canceled Mirage order was also meant to transition Indonesian pilots between their current Russian and US aircraft and the upcoming French Rafales.

[백선호]

중국제 전투기도 들이밀 듯 한데 별 소식은 없네요. 러시아제 Su-27/30은 이미 있고...

[위종민]

인도네시아 대선 며칠 전에 이 사건이 터졌네요. 국방부장관이 유력 후보던데 대선에 영향을 줄 지 모르겠습니다.

[위종민]

https://asiatimes.com/2024/02/what-prabowo-means-for-indonesia-and-the-world/

프라보워 수비안토가 대통령에 당선된 것 같은데 이 사업이 어떻게 진행될 지 지켜보는 것도 재미있겠습니다 ㅎㅎㅎ