Page 30 - ADT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2022 Online Magazine

 INTERVIEW - INFOGLOBAL
WHEN WILL THE FIRST
PROTOTYPE BE INTRODUCED?

Firstly, Sikatan is a bird native to Indonesia and actually, the scale of
the displayed mockup was not 1:1 but 0.9. Why? Because it was easy
to bring it from Surabaya. Because if it’s 1:1, the width of the body
with both wings removed already exceeds that of a trailer truck.

The first prototype will be in three years. In the next two years, maybe
we will show a more serious mockup with a full cockpit, so people will
be more confident. Why small? We designed it as a tactical fighter.
Don’t imagine using it for long-distance patrols. For patrols, they
can use other fighter planes.

doing the reverse engineering process. If the IS TNI-AU INTERESTED?
engine and the avionics are finished, where do
we go from there? Where do you sell them? Do It’s not official yet, but some of them are already interested. On the
we want to make the same plane as PTDI? Of other hand, there are also other people who looked down on us with
course not. PTDI has a market, we don’t need this project. It’s all fine, but what have they come up with by them-
to take PTDI’s segment. We’ll take another seg- selves? But I’m ready. Even if the plane can fly today and maneuver
ment. in the sky, are the haters will be totally gone? I don’t think so. Then
there are also those who ask, does our country really want to buy
I met optimistic people whose way of thinking is this later? Well, we’re making it in Indonesia, the first country that I
simple. Finally, the courage grew, and we finally offer this will be Indonesia, in this case, the TNI-AU. But if you don’t
said, “Let’s make a fighter plane mockup.” And want to buy it, that’s okay. I still can try to offer it to other countries.
that’s what happened. If we have a dream, it
must be realized. If it’s just talking, it’s a day- WHAT ARE THE NEXT
dream. With very minimal experience, we are
looking for as much information as possible, then STEPS AND CHALLENGES?
we are ready to make a mockup.
What are we going to do with this fighter? We’ll make it with a class
We knew that there was a Hawk (fighter) of the below K-FX, so it won’t seem like we are competing with K-FX. If K-FX
TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force) that slipped off is successful, then we can know what its technologies are. We can
the runway (Pekanbaru, August 23, 2022), then copy it to learn. We are planning to build a new, bigger workshop
we took a look. We’re studying the technology with an area of around three hectares. We will make it a one-stop
for our reverse engineering programme, and so workshop on avionics, reverse engineering, and so on. The location
on. So, day by day, we are more confident that already exists, near the airport (Juanda, Surabaya).
we can do this.
Regarding the economic benefits of this project, if we produce
When we sparked the idea, I made a proposal everything domestically, do you know how many companies will be
and conveyed it to Indonesia’s Minister of involved? I’ve already counted, there are about 400. Maybe the
Defence Prabowo Subianto, Indonesian Minister downline is even more. Have you ever heard that the Eurofighter
of Defence. He was interested, although the project was about to be canceled? The project is losing money, the
question arose about who is going to provide buyers are few because it is indeed high cost. But in the end, they still
the funding. But I told him: “Sir, the cost is very continue the project because it employs 45,000 people. That’s the
cheap because we will work very efficiently, and reason. If we are truly willing, how many thousands will be involved
with this project? That’s the economic benefit there.
I believe that with my concept, this can be real-
ized within nine years. The first three years as a
trainer, the next three years as a demonstrator,
and in the last three years, we’ll make it as a
full system.” What’s interesting about this proj-
ect is that it will be a dual-seater aircraft and
have twin-engines. We will use the engine with
the same class as the Hawk engine (Rolls Royce
Adour). We’re already dealing with the Hawk
engine on a daily basis, and we are about to
“clone” it. Considering that the engine is more
than fifteen years old, the royalty is zero.

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