"Right now, we are still building a new hangar to accommodate the arrival of several Sukhoi planes in NTT," Chief of the El Tari airbase Col. Jorry S. Koloay said here on Thursday.
He explained that the development of the hangar at El Tari is a five-year-long program introduced by the Defense Forces (TNI) headquarters.
In addition to the defense system equipment, a number of personnel will also be added to the airbase to maintain the aircraft, he remarked.
Col. Koloay said the decision to station a number of fighter jets in the capital of NTT was made in view of the position of the province, which borders two foreign countries, Timor Leste and Australia.
"We border Timor Leste and Australia and the province has a lot of small outlying islands, so the presence of these war planes will help secure these areas," he noted.
He said TNI headquarters hoped the El Tari airbase would become the main air base for the countrys southern region.
Apart from stationing the Sukhois and employing more personnel, air defense in NTT will continue to be enhanced, Koloay stated, adding that the TNI plans to build a radar unit in Southwest Sumba to ensure full coverage for air defense in NTT and West Nusa Tenggara.
"To make El Tari an airbase in the southern part of Indonesia, a radar unit must also be built in NTT," the former commander of the Sam Ratulangi airbase in Manado, North Sulawesi, remarked.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
