Belitung, Bangka Belitung Isla (ANTARA) - Air Force Chief of Staff, Marshal Fajar Prasetyo, has said that any upgrade of the Air Force’s primary weapons system (alutsista) will be future need-oriented.
"Looking ahead, we have envisaged what our (primary weapons system) will look like," he said after attending an exercise between Air Force Operational Command (Koopsau) I and Wing I of the Special Force (Paskhas), code-named Jalak Sakti, and Hardha Marutha I at the Air Weapon Range (AWR) in Buding, Belitung district, Bangka Belitung Islands province on Tuesday.
He said the plan to rejuvenate the primary weapons system has been discussed, but it is the Defense Ministry that has the authority to decide on it.
The Air Force has only projected its needs and qualifications in accordance with the existing primary weapons system as well as future requirements, Prasetyo said.
"Indeed, we need to rejuvenate the primary weapons system in the future, but that is the authority of the Defense Ministry. We only propose the need,” he added.
During Tuesday’s exercise, the Air Force operated its newest primary weapons system, including two F-16 fighters of the e-MLU (enhanced Mid-Life Up grade) type, he informed.
"As we have just witnessed, the F-16 e-MLUs have shown the result and the targeting has been very accurate," he said.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Air Force has continued to conduct exercises as part of efforts to maintain the air sovereignty of the Unitary Republic of Indonesia, he added. (INE)
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