Military Exhibition Showcasing Budget Transparency: Jokowi

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) on Tuesday visited an exhibition showcasing the arms and weapons system of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) near the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, which was held to mark the 76th anniversary of TNI.

"The exhibition aims to show the transparency of the state budget to the public that it has been used to purchase the military armament system," he said.

Furthermore, by conducting the exhibition, the President said, he expected that the public would get to know more about TNI’s weaponry, especially ones which are rarely known, for instance, the rocket launching Artillery Saturation Rocket System or Astros II MK6.

"We have 56 units of Astros II MK6, which rockets can reach a distance of 39 km. The units were recently bought. For instance, we just bought this one in 2014. Thus, it can be seen that they are new items," he informed.

In addition, the exhibition also displayed military equipment made by Indonesian producers: 35 units of Anoa tactical vehicles manufactured by state-owned PT Pindad (Persero); 8 units of Indonesia Light Strike Vehicle (ILSV) Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) made by PT Jala Berikat Nusantara Perkasa; 19 units of light strike vehicles P6 ATAV produced by PT Sentra Surya Ekajaya; as well as 2 units of Turangga APC made by PT Karya Tugas Anda.

Meanwhile, beside the Astros II MK6, which was manufactured in Brazil, foreign-made military armament systems displayed at the exhibition included two units of Sherpa Light Scout light armored tactical vehicles, two units of Bushmaster tactical vehicles, 18 units of Mistral missiles, two units of Mistral multi-purpose combat vehicles (MPCV), and four units of Mistral Coordination Post (MCP) radars.

Moreover, two units of BTR-4, one unit of Alligator, four units of multiple rocket launchers RM-70 Vampire along with one unit of Tatrapan tactical vehicle, two units of Orlikon Skyshield, and six units of field artilleries Caesar 155 MM were also showcased at the exhibition.

President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana Joko Widodo arrived at the defense equipment exhibition in a golf-car along with the Vice President Ma'ruf Amin and Madam Wury Ma'ruf Amin.

ANTARA