2024 presidential candidate debate: Ganjar and Anies Baswedan ask about defense equipment purchased by Prabowo

MidLand, Jakarta – On January 7, 2024, presidential debate The third took place at the General Election Commission (KPU) with the topics of defense, security, international relations, globalization, geopolitics and foreign policy.

During the presidential debate, Reward Pranowo joked about purchasing used defense equipment in Prabowo Subianto. Not just Ganjar, Anies Baswedan he also touched on Indonesia’s external debt, which is used to purchase used military equipment.

Insinuated about defense equipment, Prabowo responded. According to him, the most important thing is that the lifespan of war equipment is about 25-30 years.

“Aircraft, warships and so on, so it’s not a question of used and not used, but of age of use,” he said Prabowo in an event broadcast on the YouTube account Tempodotco, on January 7, 2024.

Questions regarding Ganjar and Anies defense equipment were directed to Prabowo as Minister of Defense, who is still in office. While serving as Defense Minister since 2019, Prabowo was recorded as having purchased several defense equipment. The following is a list of defense equipment that Prabowo purchased while he was Minister of Defense, namely:

Frigate

In June 2021, the government signed a cooperation contract for the purchase of war frigates from the Italian company Fincantieri. Under the agreement, Fincantieri will supply 6 FREMM-class frigates or European multi-role frigates and 2 used Maestrale-class frigates. Previously, in early July 2020, Prabowo had ordered 500 units of 4×4 tactical or ranger vehicles manufactured by PT Pindad.

Airbus A400M

In November 2021, the Ministry of Defense contracted to order 2 French-made Airbus A400M aircraft that have a multi-role transport and tanker configuration. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defense has committed to purchasing 4 additional A400M units.

Dassault Rafale

Prabowo purchased 42 Dassault Rafale fighter jets with the Dassault Aviation company. This purchase was officially signed in Jakarta, on February 10, 2022, by Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier and the head of the Defense Facilities Agency of the Ministry of Defense, Vice Marshal Yusufjauhari.

Scorpene

In February 2022, the Ministry of Defense purchased 2 Scorpene submarines from France, the construction of which takes 6 years. Prabowo confirmed that the Scorpene vessel program will continue.

Mirage 2000-5

The government purchased 12 used Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar in January 2023. These used fighter planes were produced by Dassault Aviation from France, purchased to reduce the combat readiness of the Indonesian Air Force.

F-15EX

Prabowo purchased 24 F-15EX fighter aircraft from the United States (USA). The signing of the memorandum of understanding for the purchase was carried out by Yusuf Jauhari, vice president, and Boeing Fighters program director Mark Sears, in St. Petersburg. Louis, August 21, 2023.

Undersea Rescue Vehicle System (SRVS)

On September 1, 2023, the Ministry of Defense and PT BTI Indo Tekno signed a contract to purchase SRVS defense equipment for the Indonesian Navy. According to a written statement from the Ministry of Defense dated September 10, 2023, the agreement includes the supply of an advanced technology rescue submarine SRV-F Mk.3 and a special aircraft carrier (Mothership).

RACHEL FARAHDIBA R | DANIEL A. FAJRI | MOH KHORY ALFARIZI

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