Jakarta (ANTARA News) - PT Dirgantara Indonesia will revive its cooperation with Airbus Military to increase its competitive power, its president director, Budi Santoso, said here on Monday.

"It has been more than 10 years that we have been lagged behind. Therefore we will increase our cooperation with Airbus Military again to improve PT DI," he said when met at the office of the chief economic minister.

Budi said that most of Airbus Military products formerly known as CASA are made by PT DI and so without PT DI Airbus Military is predicted to also meet problems.

"To make PT DI more competitive they have asked us to know the technology that they are applying now. They will teach us," he said.

The plan would be followed up with the signing of a memorandum of understanding next week, he said.

The concrete steps to be taken under the cooperation include increasing production and product cooperation, Budi said referrring as example cooperation products such as CN235,CASA 212 and NC295.

Other benefit the company would get from the cooperation is it will know aviation industry development and how the business is faring now, he said.

"What is important for us is not the figures but capacity to survive. Without upgrading our capacity in the next five years PT DI could become no longer competitive," he said.

PT DI started cooperating with Airbus Military 35 years ago. (*)

Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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