REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MAGETAN - Indonesian Air Force received T-50i Golden Eagle aircrafts ordered by Indonesian Ministry of Defence from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Under a contract with Indonesian government, KAI will provide aircraft technicians at Squadron 15 Iswahjudi Air Force Base for two years to help the flight operations. 

Now, two of 16 aircrafts ordered also have arrived at Iswahjudi Air Force Base in Magetan, East Java on Wednesday.  Air Force Commander of Operations II, Young Marshal Agus Supriatna said 14 other aircrafts would arrive in two weeks. 

T-50i Golden Eagle will replace HAWK Mk-53. Dozens of HAWK Mk-53 aircrafts were purchased by government in 1980s and most of them are now old. Currently, only two units that still operate.

"We will not use those old HAWK Mk-53 aircrafts anymore. Their spareparts are not available or expensive,"  Supriatna said recently.

All T-50i Golden Eagle aircrafts will be used to train young pilots graduate from flight schools before they operationalize Sukhoi aircrafts, such as F-16, F-5 and Hawk 100/200. Other than training purposes, T-50i Golden Eagle also can serve as fighter aircraft as it has been equipped with weapons for various missions. 

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