Tonny shared the experience on Thursday while delivering a keynote address at a national air law seminar broadcast live on Airmentv’s YouTube channel in Jakarta.
The incident occurred about 15 years ago, when Tonny commanded Air Squadron 11 in Makassar, which operated Sukhoi SU-27/30 fighter jets.
“At the time, I was with Squadron 11 in Makassar when we received information that an aircraft was flying from Dili to Kuala Lumpur,” Tonny said.
“We were then ordered to intercept the aircraft,” he added.
As squadron commander, Tonny carried out the order, sending two Russian-made fighter jets to intercept and approach the foreign aircraft.
Tonny identified one of the pilots involved as Air Vice Marshal Mochammad Untung Suropati, call sign “Giant,” who now commands Air Force Regional Command II.
Tonny said the two Sukhoi fighters positioned themselves on either side of the foreign aircraft.
“The pilot showed us a paper from the cockpit. It was only his flight order, with no security or flight clearance to enter Indonesian territory,” Tonny said.
The Indonesian fighters then forced the aircraft to land, a procedure known as a force-down.
The pilot, a retired Pakistani Air Force officer working for Pakistan Air at the time, agreed to land, Tonny said.
The aircraft eventually landed in front of Sultan Hasanuddin Air Base in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi Province.
The incident was not immediately resolved, however, as authorities lacked regulations governing what action should be taken in such cases.
“The problem was that nobody knew who was responsible for what because there was no law. Eventually, they were told to remain inside the aircraft,” Tonny said.
Authorities later learned the aircraft was carrying Pakistani peacekeepers returning from Timor-Leste. Air base personnel guarded them within the aircraft’s designated area.
Tonny said the incident helped prompt him and other officers to develop Indonesia’s Airspace Management Law.
After various meetings and legislative reviews, with support from Deputy Law Minister Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, Indonesia eventually enacted the Airspace Management Law.
“I repeatedly thank the working group and the deputy minister for helping us realize the Airspace Management Law,” Tonny said.
Tonny said the law should provide a strong legal foundation for the Indonesian Air Force and other relevant agencies to safeguard the country’s airspace.
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Translator: Walda M, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Primayanti
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