Indonesia's president has vowed to increase the country's military budget, a promise that comes as the government faces pressure over the crash of an Indonesian Lockheed C-130 on 20 May that killed about 100 people.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told local reporters in Jakarta today that once the Indonesian economy recovers from the global economic slump he will see to it that Indonesia's miliary budget is increased.
Indonesia's defence minister, Juwono Sudarsono, has already complained publicly that the country's military budget is too low and that this has meant the air force is spending less on aircraft maintenance than it should.
The politcal manoeuvres comes in the wake of the 20 May crash of a Lockheed C-130 military aircraft in East Java.
Local reports quote Indonesian military spokespeople as saying there were 98 passengers and 14 crew on board the C-130 which crashed at around 06:30 on 20 May killing 98 people including some on the ground.
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© PA photosThis image shows the remains of the tail section of the crashed military C-130 cargo aircraft |
The aircraft was carrying military personnel and their families.
Pictures of the aircraft show that it crashed into a paddy field and low-rise brick houses next to a forest. The aircraft, registration A-1325, is upside down and the main fuselage has been gutted by fire.
The defence minister has told local journalists that if the crash investigation discovers a technical or mechanical failure he will ground the country's C-130 fleet.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
