REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- No country has made second-hand military personnel a priority on its defense spending list. Military and defence observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) Khairul Fahmi said it included Indonesia, which wanted to procure supplies by buying new goods.

However, he said, there are factual conditions, as well as international politics, that so far, it is common to make some second-hand equipment from other countries, as an alternative in the shopping basket of Indonesia's main defense tools.

“In fact, what country in the world wants to buy used equipment? No. Including Indonesia. Ideally, we do buy a new one. And indeed we have bought new ones,” Khairul said when contacted by Republika from Jakarta on Tuesday (9/1/2024).

Khairul's new ally is linked to a contract for the purchase of Rafale fighter jet units from France. However, Khairul explained, buying new tools for developing countries such as Indonesia is not an easy matter. Because it requires import.

Also, he said, the agreement on the purchase of the new equipment is not once a direct payment for carrying goods such as general commodities. Rather, he said, the procurement of such resources, through negotiations, and special requests according to the defense needs of the buyer's country. That is why, Khairul said, for example, in the purchase of equipment such as fighter jets, warships, etc., it is necessary to wait for the process to happen.

“Because the production of the equipment, if it is new, take a sample of a fighter plane, it takes two to five years, the production is by order,” Khairul said.

While waiting for the production process, Khairul said, the performance of the fighter aircraft that Indonesia has so far has certainly decreased. That's why, Khairul said, to fill the decline, while waiting for the production of a new already agreed fighter jet, the defense authority, took steps to search for second-hand ones.

Even that, said Khairul, of course with the specifications and performance of fighter jets that are still excellent with a long service life. “So actually, let's not compare the new weapons, with the old ones. Certainly ideally, I suppose, the government wants its new one. Because we can afford to buy new ones,” Khairul said.

Not to mention, Khairul said, the purchase of the new equipment is also linked to certain political conditions with producer countries. At present, Khairul said, the Ministry of Defence (Ministry of Defence) has started for the rejuvenation of the weapons.

According to Khairul, the priority of rejuvenation that is currently carried out is mainly air equipment, such as fighter jets. “If we are in the current situation, more than 50 percent of these aircraft of our Air Force, are already unfit for use, and increasingly according to their performance,” Khairul said. But he said that while waiting for the outcome of agreements with fighter jet manufacturers to obtain new items, there is no question that buying used equipment, can patch up the current decline in the performance of existing equipment.

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