Air Force urges PT DI to finish construction of ordered choppers

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Air Force (TNI AU) Headquarters urged
state-owned aircraft maker PT DI to soon finish construction of seven
Super Puma helicopters it had ordered based on a contract both sides
had signed in 1996.

"We want the procurement of the helicopters to be finished soon,
particularly the seventh and eighth helicopters in order to support the
TNI AU`s tasks," TNI AU Chief of Staff Vice Marshal Subandrio said here
on Tuesday.

He made the statement after leading a ceremony in which Chief of the
TNI AU`s Education Command, Rear Marshal Wardjoko transfered his post
to Air Commodore Dradjad Rahardjo.



Subandrio said his side had asked PT DI several times to complete the process of building all the 16 Super Puma helicopters.

"But after almost 10 years, PT DI had finished only seven helicopters.
We want a speedy hand over, particularly the next two helicopters," he
said.

He said PT DI had finished the air frames of the remaining helicopters
but had not yet equipped them with avionic and other instruments.

The TNI AU had signed a contract with PT DI for the procurement of 16
NAS-322 Super Puma helicopters in 1998 and another contract for three
CN-235 MPA airplanes in 1996. (*) END

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