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Impulsive force fighter3/9/2023 Like other countries in the region with ongoing military modernisation programmes, Indonesia’s expanding wish list of weaponry is made possible by the growing size of the international arms trade. So why has this happened? Well, Indonesia’s weapons procurement and its broader foreign and security policy are always a result of a complex interplay between external and domestic factors. There were also reports that the Air Force was interested in buying two squadrons of F-16 Viper from the United States and that Minister of Defence Prabowo Subianto was interested in buying 48 of France’s Dassault Rafale. It is also still committed to purchasing Russia’s Su-35 fighters, despite the threat of American sanctions. Indonesia is co-developing new KF-X fighters with South Korea, a project which has just got back on track. Members of parliament, meanwhile, have said that they have not been consulted about the policy.Īside from the Typhoons, Indonesia has already had various types of fighters in its list of procurement. In the latest development, Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto approached his Austrian counterpart to express his interest to acquire the latter’s 15 Eurofighter Typhoons.Ĭritics have found the decision puzzling, and it is seen at odds with the government’s commitment to avoid purchasing second-hand weaponry. Indonesia’s impulsive attempts to purchase jet fighters has gained attention over recent months. "That's what we certainly could implement on a larger scale.There are many reasons behind the push for a modernisation of Indonesia’s defence, but an impulsive approach to procuring weapons could cause problems for the country down the line, Muhamad Arif and Tangguh Chairil write. "That's what we used to make it feasible to fly day and night with the sun only," he said. He hopes a year's delay will not undermine the message he aims to spread at the Paris climate talks: Deploying renewable energy technology will help stop climate change. "We know we can do it, but it remains a challenge," Borschberg said. Kennedy Airport, before crossing to either Europe or North Africa and, finally, Abu Dhabi. Midwest pit-stop followed by New York's John F. Vancouver, as well as San Francisco, Los Angeles or Phoenix, are all candidates, Borschberg said. West Coast stops have been left open to accommodate potentially fickle weather. It weighs as much as a five-seater family car.īorschberg said he plans to start test flights around March and, barring obstacles, will begin the 2,500-mile leg from Hawaii to North America in April, when daylight hours are sufficient to recharge the batteries. The plane has 17,248 solar cells and a wider wing-span than a Boeing 747. Solar Impulse's budget since 2004 is now some $170 million. "We are all very focused and looking forward to continuing next year," said the 62-year-old, who flies solo, alternating between pit-stops with Piccard at the controls of the single-seat plane.įILE - Swiss pilots Andre Borschberg (L) and Bertrand Piccard (R) of Solar Impulse 2, the world's only solar-powered aircraft, arrive at Mandalay international airport on March 19, 2015. "The financial side is under control," said Borschberg, a former Swiss Air Force fighter pilot and co-founder of Solar Impulse. Then, when its batteries overheated during a record-breaking five-day, five-night Pacific crossing from Japan to Hawaii in July, the plane was forced to winter inside a hangar at Kalaeloa. The Swiss solar-powered plane whose record-setting, round-the-world flight was put on hold in July by weather and battery trouble has raised the $20 million it needs to finish the trip, co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg said Monday.īorschberg, at the United Nations' Paris climate summit with co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, said backers making contributions include chemical-maker Solvay, Swiss lift-maker Schindler, power grid-maker ABB and Swatch's Omega brand.īorschberg and Piccard had hoped to finish the 35,000-km (21,748-mile), multi-leg circumnavigation in 2015, leaving from Abu Dhabi in March.įirst, crosswinds in China caused weeks of delays.
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