TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Army Chief of Staff General Moeldoko confirmed that the Defense Ministry had agreed on the purchase of eight units of United States Apache Longbow Choppers.
The request was previously rejected by the House of Representatives, saying the price was beyond expensive. "Both the House and the Defense Ministry have agreed on the purchase," the Army Chief of Staff said.
Moeldoko did not specifically mention the price of the eight notorious choppers, saying he had not noticed the technical matter. He said that the government will begin paying the U.S. by this year. The eight choppers will be sent to Indonesia starting 2018 to 2021.
The House Defense Commission, in regards to this purchase, said they eventually agreed to strengthen the Army despite the relatively expensive cost.
INDRA WIJAYA