TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The French fighter-jet Rafale has arrived on Monday, March 23, 2015, at the Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Jakarta. The fighter jet, made by the Dassault Aviation, is scheduled to show off its performance in front of Indonesian government officials before it can be chosen as replacement for the Indonesian Air Force's old F-5 Tiger.
"We would like to replace the F-5 with the new 4.5 generation jet. The Rafale is included in the 4.5 category," First Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, Head of Information of the Air Force told Tempo on Tuesday, March 24, 2015.
According to schedule, the Rafale will be in Indonesia until Thursday, March 26. While it is here, the fighter jet will be performing a series of flight demonstration as well as inviting Indonesian air force pilot to evaluate its performance and reliability.
However, the Indonesian Air Force remains unsure whether to replace the old F-5 Tiger or not because the authority lies in the hands of the Defense Ministry.
As the user, Hadi said, the air force can only submit criteria of the desired fighter jet to the Defense Ministry. "We only ask for a 4.5 generation fighter-jet with a high-dither power," Hadi said.
INDRA WIJAYA
