09 Maret 2012

CN-235 Korea Coast Guard (photo : Taegu Lee)

State-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI) dispatched on Friday the fourth CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft for the Korean Coast Guard (KCG) from its plant at the Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung.

The aircraft is making a ferry flight from Bandung to Kimpo Airport in Seoul after a ceremony attended by, among others, Defense Deputy Minister Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Industry Deputy Minister Alex Retraubun and South Korean Ambassador to Jakarta Kim Young-sun.

Sjafrie said the delivery proved that Indonesian defense production, especially aircraft, had been accepted at a regional level and was preparing to gain acceptance at an international level.

“The airplane delivery is part of mutual-benefit cooperation between the two countries. We expect this reciprocal relationship to keep improving,” he said in his speech.

Meanwhile, Kim told the attendees that he was pleased and grateful that PT DI had finally delivered the fourth and last CN-235 for the KCG.

“It is particularly encouraging to know that the defense-industry cooperation has grown steadily and expanded considerably in recent years. I believe our defense-industry cooperation is characterized by mutual benefit based on mutual trust through win-win cooperation,” he said.

The ambassador pointed out that Indonesia had ordered a number of South Korean-made aircraft such as the KT-1 Wong Bee trainer and T-50 advanced jet trainer.

Indonesia has also signed a contract to buy three submarines from South Korea and both countries are currently developing a new jet fighter codenamed KFX/IFX.

PT DI president director Budi Santoso said the last aircraft should have been delivered in December 2011 but there was a technical problem with the radar delivery.

“The radar was ordered by the Koreans and the delivery was late. So it was not our fault and no penalties were imposed,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony.

Budi said the company received non-cash assistance of US$100 million from state lender Bank BNI. A loan of similar value had been secured from another state lender Bank BRI to work on nine C-295 medium transport airplanes procured by the Defense Ministry.

The C-295 is a larger derivative, developed by Spain, of the CN-235 which is jointly designed and jointly produced by both Spain and Indonesia.

Sjafrie expected two C-295s could be delivered before October this year.

PT DI aircraft integration director Budiman Saleh said the contract for the four aircraft was signed in December 2008 in Seoul. The first two aircraft were delivered in 2011 on March 7 and 13 respectively while the third aircraft was delivered on Dec. 23.

He said the aircraft was designed for maritime surveillance and SAR missions, being equipped with various features and instruments such as search radar, forward looking infra red (FLIR), IFF interrogator, tactical navigation, tactical computer system, camera and bubble windows.

Budiman and 10 technicians are on board the airplane during the ferry flight to demonstrate PT DI’s commitment to its customers. Capt. Adi Budi Atmoko is the pilot with Capt. Esther Gayatri Saleh as co-pilot.

Esther said the aircraft would first fly to Tarakan in East Kalimantan in a five-hour flight and rest overnight (RON) there. From Tarakan, the airplane will fly for about four hours to Clark Base in the Philippines for refueling before continuing the journey to Taipei in a three-and-a-half hour flight.

After another RON in Taipei, the aircraft is expected to arrive in Gimpo airport in Seoul on Sunday after flying for about four hours from Taipei.

South Korea is a potential market for PT DI as the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) currently operates six CN-235s for transport missions and two airplanes for VVIP transport. ROKAF also operates 12 CN-235s made in Spain. PT DI spokesman Sonny Saleh Ibrahim told The Jakarta Post that South Korea still had an option for another eight CN-235s.

“We will start negotiations in 2013 to convert this option into a firm order,” he said, adding that the option was for both the KCG and ROKAF.

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23 Desember 2011

CN-235 versi Maritime Patrol untuk Korean Coast Guard (photo : Kaksus Militer)

Bandung (ANTARA News) - Korean National Guard menerima pesawat CN-235 Maritme Patrol Aircraft ketiga dari hanggar produksi PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), di Bandung, Jumat. Total pesanan pesawat intai maritim menengah dari Korea Selatan itu sebanyak empat unit dengan total nilai kontrak sekitar 94 juta dolar Amerika Serikat.

"Sebelum pesawat CN-235 MPA yang ketiga ini diterbangkan ke Korea Selatan, pesawat telah menjalani serangkaian pengujian sesuai prosedur yang berlaku serta telah menjalani uji penerimaan," kata Direktur Aircraft Integration PTDI, Budiman Saleh.

Korea Selatan sebetulnya memiliki sendiri industri pesawat terbang yang cukup mumpuni di kelas dunia. Namun telah beberapa kali negara itu mempercayakan keperluan pesawat terbangnya kepada PT Dirgantara Indonesia. Ini menjadi bukti keampuhan produk dalam negeri Indonesia dengan harga bersaing di tingkat internasional.

Korea Selatan sejak 1994 tercatat telah menggunakan dua skuadron pesawat CN-235 untuk memperkuat angkatan udaranya.

"Kepercayaan ini tentu harus dipelihara terus agar PTDI memperoleh kontrak-kontrak berikutnya, bukan hanya dari Pemerintah Korea Selatan, melainkan juga dari pelanggan-pelanggan lain yang memang membutuhkan pesawat sekelas CN-235," ujarnya.

Saleh menjelaskan, pesawat CN-235 MPA untuk Korean National Guard pertama dan ke dua telah diserahkan pada Mei 2011, sedangkan untuk pesawat yang keempat akan diserahkan pada kuartal pertama tahun 2012. Kontrak jual beli pesawat KCG ini ditandatangani pada Desember 2008 lalu.

Spesifikasi khusus CN-235 MPA antara lain dilengkapi instrumen radar khusus, forward looking infra red (FLIR-penjejak berbasis infra merah tinjauan bawah), ESM, instrumen identification friend or foe (IFF-pengenal wahana kawan atau musuh), navigasi taktik, sistem komputer taktis, kamera pengintai udara, dan beberapa yang lain. Dua mesin CT7-9C yang masing-masing berkekuatan 1.750 daya kuda dipasang di kedua pilon mesin di bentang sayapnya.

Secara fisik, CN-235 MPA ini berukuran lebih panjang dan memiliki struktur lebih kuat ketimbang seri sipil CN-235. Di bagian hidung di bawah jendela kokpit, terdapat tonjolan berisikan berbagai instrumen khusus itu. Struktur pesawat terbang juga diperkuat karena operasionalisasi CN-235 MPA lebih dominan di wilayah maritim yang berpotensi korosif terhadap metal penyusun pesawat terbang itu.

Secara khusus, Saleh bersyukur dan gembira bahwa restrukturisasi bisnis di lingkungan PTDI terus berjalan. Program restrukturisasi bisnis tersebut bertujuan untuk meningkatkan nilai ekonomi perusahaan.

Melalui upaya restrukturisasi itu PTDI terus mengembangkan dan mempertahankan lini CN-235, kelompok Aircraft Services, dan kelompok Manufacturing Services.

Selain itu PTDI juga terus mencari mitra strategis untuk lini N250, NC-212, Helikopter, dan kelompok Engineering Services, sementara lini usaha pertahanan keamanan dan Advanced Technology Education Center (ATEC) diupayakan agar mampu mandiri. (ANT).

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