Indonesia’s defense contractor PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) has announced the signing of contracts for eight Airbus Helicopters H225M medium-lift helicopters and nine Bell 412EPI utility helicopters for the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) and Indonesian Army (TNI-AD), respectively. According to PT DI, the deals are worth around $330 million and $183 million. The H225M package also consists of one H225M level D full flight simulator.
PT DI will outfit and customize the H225Ms in its Bandung facility prior to delivery to the TNI AU, which already operates three H225M for combat search and rescue (CSAR) operations with Aviation Squadron 9. Three more are on order from a 2012 contract. PT DI said that it has to fulfill the order within 36 months from contract signing.
The Bell 412EPIs will be built under license by PT DI, which estimates that deliveries would be completed between 2020 and 2021. The TNI-AD has had 22 Bell 412EPIs in service since 2012, ordered in two batches of six and 16 in 2012 and 2013. The enhanced performance Bell 412s will gradually replace around 14 older Bell 412SPs.
The Indonesian defense ministry's Head of Defense Facilities, Agus Setiadji, told local reporters that the ministry is looking at 40 light combat helicopters and 100 medium-lift helicopters as part of the Minimum Essential Force (MEF) II (2015-2019) plan, but can only place the current orders now.