RI, Australian Air Forces Hold Joint Exercise in Darwin
Sponsored Links:The Indonesian and Australian air forces on Monday began a four-day joint exercise in Darwin, Australia`s Northern Territory. Indonesia was represented in the exercise, dubbed “Elang Ausindo 2009″ , by four F-16 fighter planes and Australia by seven F-18s.
An Indonesian Air Force spokesman, Air Commodore Bambang Samudro, said the joint exercise was participated in by 45 men from the Indonesian Air Force`s Air Squadron III based at Iswahyudi, East Java, and personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force`s Squadron 77.
“After the opening ceremony today a training area adjustment session will be conducted while air maneuver technique session will start on Tuesday. The whole Indonesia team will return home on September 5,” Samudro said.
Air personnel from both countries would practice air maneuvers and air battle tactics, he said. He said this training was a continuation of a previous one held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, two years ago. “Cooperation between the air forces of the two counries has been running well,” he said.
The Elang Ausindo 2009 was officially opened by Commodore Neil Heart and Commodore Bambang Samudro. It was also attended by the defense attache of the Indonesian embassy (KBRI) in Canberra , Vice Marshal Kuswantoro, seven officers of the Indonesian Air Force Headquarters and the Indonesian Consul in Darwin, Harbangan Napitupulu.
Based on the record of KBRI in Canberra, defense cooperation between the Indonesian and Australian armed forces started in 1968 with a joint mapping program in Indonesia. But since the 1980s, the cooperation was done through an institution called “Indonesia-Australia Defense Program” (DCP) which held annual meetings either in Australia or Indonesia.
Some cooperation activities carried out through DKP were joint exercises called Kartika-Kangaroo (Army), Albatros (Air Force), Kakadu, Casooary, Passex and Cakrawala Baru with patrol ships and Nomad airplanes).
Although the cooperation was disturbed due to the East Timor problem in 1999 and all DCP activities, except education programs, were ceased, the two sides resumed the bilateral cooperation based on an agreement signed at an informal meeting of Indonesian and Australian forein ministry oficials in 2001
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