Indonesia is acquiring at least 36 used Eurocopter BO105 helicopters to bolster its capability to respond to natural disasters.
Industry sources say Indonesian disaster relief agency Bakornas has agreed to purchase for about $3 million 36 ex-military BO105s being remarketed by the German government. Bakornas’s local agent is trying to acquire 20-30 additional BO105s from several sources and intends to distribute them to the army, navy and police.
The first 11 BO105s have already arrived in Jakarta of which four have been reassembled at Garuda’s maintenance facility by technicians from Indonesian Aerospace (IAe). But they have not flown yet, nor been assigned to an operator.
The police and army already operate BO105s on surveillance and light utility missions, but sources say they are reluctant to take the additional helicopters because they are not of the same specification. The navy, which is being asked to introduce BO105s for utility missions, is also concerned about the aircraft’s serviceability.
Sources say the helicopters are not being delivered with any maintenance documentation, but Jakarta has rejected Eurocopter’s offer to develop a maintenance manual. IAe, which assembled the army’s BO105s and maintains some of the existing aircraft, also has warned it will not service the aircraft without the proper manuals. IAe so far has only been directed by the government to reassemble the helicopters and estimates it will cost about $1 million to upgrade each aircraft to the existing specification.
A deficiency in Indonesia’s helicopter fleet was highlighted by the 26 December 2004 tsunami and earthquake and other recent natural disasters. The army prefers to acquire Western aircraft but has instead proposed acquiring 18-30 Bell 210s for light utility missions and four to six Boeing CH-47 Chinooks for a new heavylift disaster relief requirement. The police seek to instead acquire additional Bell 412s.
Sources say the BO105 deal is purely political and the other acquisitions may not go forward because of budget constraints.
BRENDAN SOBIE/SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
