ThalesRaytheonSystems Completes Indonesian Air Defense Radar System Contract

March 22, 2012 defpro.com

MASSY, France | ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) delivered a third air defense radar station to Indonesia on schedule, successfully fulfilling the terms of a contract awarded four years ago.

The radar achieved the Site Acceptance Test (SAT) on February 24, and was commissioned in the presence of Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara's (TNI-AU) Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Imam Suffat, the French Defense Attaché, and Indonesian government and military representatives on March 5.

Under the contract awarded by the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and Indonesian Air Force in 2008, TRS has supplied three air defense radar stations. The first two systems were commissioned in March and November 2011.

Indonesia's new long-range air defense radar systems are essential for the protection of air sovereignty.The radars, situated in the Eastern part of Indonesia, will provide an air picture and situational awareness to operators in the Sector Operation Center in Biak and the National Air Defense Command's Operations Center in Jakarta.

"The Indonesian air defense radar program was challenging both from a technical and logistical perspective, with the installation of radar systems on islands in some of the most remote parts of Indonesia," said Philippe Duhamel, CEO, ThalesRaytheonSystems, French Operations. "Given the ambitious nature of the program, it is the long history of collaboration between TRS, TNI-AU, Indonesian MoD, the National Air Defense Command, and local industry, and a remarkable effort by all that has ensured the radars were operational on schedule," said Duhamel.

For more than 30 years, TRS and Thales have provided innovative air surveillance systems to defend Indonesia's airspace against a variety of traditional and modern-day threats. During this period TRS has worked closely with the Indonesian government and Indonesian industrial partner PT Ebdesk to develop,install and support long-range air surveillance radars, and national and regional command and control centers.

For the next Indonesian radar station project, TRS has teamed again with PT Ebdesk and with PT LEN Industri (Persero), a state owned company. TRS will transfer air defense radar manufacturing skills and expertise to PT LEN Industri (Persero) in order to meet TNI-AU's long-term air defense and air surveillance requirements. The air defense radar system integration will be established at PT LEN Industri's (Persero) premises in Bandung, Indonesia.