Jakarta (ANTARA) - A new Falcon 8X jet aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation, France, arrived in Indonesia to strengthen the Air Force 17 VIP/VVIP Squadron at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Indonesian Air Force, Jakarta.
The new Falcon 8X unit arrived at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base on Wednesday (November 8) and was immediately handed over from the Defense Ministry to the Indonesian Air Force, head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Defense Ministry Secretariat General, Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha, stated on Thursday.
"The Falcon 8X aircraft, with registration number A-0801, is an additional force for the Indonesian Air Force Control Command fleet that is designed to support leadership tasks," he remarked.
The new Falcon 8X unit replaces the Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X that Dassault had earlier lent to Indonesia, Sumantha noted.
He highlighted that the Indonesian government had received a loan for one Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X unit from Dassault in December 2022 to prepare its pilots, mechanical crews, and cabin crews, especially in operational and maintenance aspects for the jet.
"The two jets will be returned when the actual jet arrives," he revealed.
The loan process and delivery of the new Falcon 8X unit were the result of negotiations between the Defense Ministry and Dassault Aviation when the two parties signed a contract to purchase Rafale fighter jets, he noted.
In the purchase contract, especially for the first six units of a total of 36 Rafale units, Dassault agreed to send its fighter aircraft and the VIP/VVIP Falcon 8X jets.
"The Falcon 8X aircraft has the advantage of having a long-range and being able to land on short runways," according to a press statement from the Defense Ministry on Thursday.
During the arrival ceremony of the new Falcon 8X unit on Wednesday, Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force, Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, led the welcoming ceremony, including the water salute and breaking a jug at the bottom of the plane's nose.
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