Indonesian Aerospace is poised to embark on a major modernisation effort for Lockheed Martin C-130 tactical transports operated by the Indonesian air force.
The project will see Indonesian Aerospace, also known as PTDI, replace the aircrafts’ centre wing boxes and update avionics, said the company on 2 October.
The work will cover nine legacy C-130s, with the first aircraft to be inducted this month, before being transferred to Indonesian Aerospace in November. The centre wing box replacement will take five months, while the avionics upgrade will take six.
Indonesian Aerospace tells FlightGlobal that the company is still in the process of finding partners to collaborate on the cockpit upgrade work involved with the project. For avionics, a priority is also strengthening the company’s collaboration with global aerospace firms.
“Through this collaboration, PTDI and [the Air Force Material Maintenance Command] can mutually strengthen their competence and capability in managing the C-130 Hercules aircraft, which is one of the vital assets for our air force,” says Gita Amperiawan, president director of Indonesian Aerospace.
“With full commitment, we will provide the best results to improve the effectiveness of the C-130 Hercules aircraft operations, both in maintaining sovereignty and the security of the region, as well as carrying out humanitarian missions.”
Air Marshal Oki Yanuar notes that 60% of Indonesian air force maintenance is still done abroad, and that leveraging local industry for MRO support can improve Indonesia’s independence.
Indonesia’s GMF AeroAsia, a unit of Garuda, is also involved in a separate upgrade programme for Indonesian C-130s, under which eight aircraft are getting new centre wing boxes. Seven of these aircraft will also get an avionics update.
Cirium fleets data indicates that the Indonesian air force has 30 C-130s, of which 21 are legacy C-130B/H models, four are L-100-30s, and five are new C-130Js. The average age of the overall fleet is 40 years.
