"We will upgrade the T-50s in the near future as the fighter jets still lack several things," he said after paying a working visit to the Iswahjudi Airbase in Magetan, East Java, on Friday.
He further said the radar system for the fighter jets, which belong to the Air Squadron 15 at the Iswahjudi Airbase, still needs to be upgraded.
"Apart from that, we will also equip the fighter jets with more weapons so that they can support the countrys air security," he said.
It is very important to upgrade the T-50i Golden Eagle fighter jets as the country has a very large territory, Hadi added.
"In the middle of the second phase of the strategic plan from 2015 to 2019, the fighter jets will be able to perform their operational tasks, including patrolling and securing the air over Papua and other eastern parts of Indonesia more properly," he said.
TNI AU currently operates 15 out of 16 T-50i Golden Eagle fighter jets. The other one is totally damaged after it met with an accident during an aerobatic show at the Adisutjipto Airport in Yogyakarta in 2015. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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