Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal)
Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) is the Indonesian Navy’s air arm, which dates itself to 17 June 1956, flew Gannet anti-submarine aircraft and Il-28 torpedo bombers in Sukarno’s confrontations, lost its strike role by 1972, and today flies about a dozen CN-235 and C-212 patrol aircraft, 11 Panther anti-submarine helicopters and drones from Juanda in Surabaya — and in September 2026 took delivery of a carrier deck, the former Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi.
The Indonesian Naval Aviation story: Gannets and Il-28s, a navy-built airport and a carrier deck
1956–1962: a naval air arm for an archipelago
Indonesia’s navy was founded on 10 September 1945, in the revolution against the Dutch, and its air arm followed a decade later. The naval aviation’s own anniversary falls on 17 June: Antara reported the 67th anniversary at Juanda on 17 June 2023, which dates it to 17 June 1956. Indonesian Wikipedia traces an earlier Naval Aviation Bureau, set up by a decision of the Chief of Naval Staff, and describes the years from 1955 to 1965 as the arm’s early, offensive period. It was born into a country of thousands of islands with a Dutch navy still in Western New Guinea, and its first purpose was war at sea: anti-submarine patrol, maritime reconnaissance and torpedo attack. The Dutch had left a naval air base at Morokrembangan in Surabaya, built in 1922 for their own naval aviation service; its cramped site is why the navy later built Juanda.
1959–1972: Gannets, Il-28s and Sukarno’s confrontations
Sukarno’s confrontations armed it. In January 1959, Wikipedia says, Indonesia ordered 18 Fairey Gannets for the navy and received 17 anti-submarine AS.4s, converted from AS.1s, and two trainers; some served only as ground trainers. Soviet aid followed. In 1965 the navy’s 500th Squadron at Juanda received eleven Il-28T torpedo bombers and two Il-28U trainers, and later took over the air force’s Il-28s. Indonesian Wikipedia lists the operations the arm took part in: Trikora, the 1961–1962 campaign for Western New Guinea; Dwikora, the confrontation with Malaysia; the operations against the PGRS/Paraku guerrillas in Kalimantan; Seroja, the 1975 invasion of East Timor; and security operations in Aceh. What it actually flew in each is not documented in the sources reached, and no kill or loss claims are made here.
Juanda: the airfield the navy built
Juanda is the airfield the navy built. Morokrembangan was hemmed in and could not grow, so from 1960 to 1964 two French firms built a new airfield at Waru, south of Surabaya, in what Wikipedia calls Indonesia’s first major airfield project since independence. The runway was declared operational on 22 September 1963, seven months early, and the first landing was made by naval aircraft. The base was named after Prime Minister Djuanda Kartawidjaja, who had helped resolve its financing and died on 7 November 1963, and President Sukarno inaugurated it on 12 August 1964. The navy still owns the land: Juanda International Airport is a civil enclave on a naval air station that is the headquarters of Puspenerbal.
1972–2016: from strike to patrol, and a centre of its own
After Sukarno fell, the strike role faded. All the remaining naval Il-28s were retired by 1972, according to Wikipedia, and the arm became what it largely remains: a patrol, transport and helicopter force. Indonesian Wikipedia records a long chain of names — Naval Aviation Bureau, Naval Aviation Command (Konerbal), a naval staff section, a special staff, the Naval Aviation Service (Disnerbal) — until 13 June 2006, when all naval aviation was brought under the Naval Aviation Center, Pusat Penerbangan TNI Angkatan Laut or Puspenerbal. Its fleet came largely from home: CN-235 and C-212 patrol aircraft and helicopters assembled by Indonesia’s aircraft industry in Bandung, alongside Australian Nomads and American trainers.
2016–2026: Panthers, drones and a carrier deck
The modern force rests on two purchases. In 2014 Indonesia ordered 11 AS565 MBe Panther anti-submarine helicopters, built by Airbus Helicopters and fitted with a dipping sonar by PT Dirgantara Indonesia; the first three were handed over on 23 November 2016. Boeing Insitu ScanEagle drones followed from 2021. Today Wing 2 at Juanda flies Panthers, CN-235 MPAs, C-212s, trainers and drones, Wing 1 at Tanjungpinang in the Riau Islands also flies Panthers, and Panthers have served aboard Indonesian corvettes with the UN’s Maritime Task Force off Lebanon. In September 2026 the navy received Italy’s former carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi; President Prabowo Subianto said she would become a carrier of helicopters and drones.
What it is, and what it is not
Puspenerbal is not an air force. It has no fighters and no long-range patrol jets; Wikipedia counts six CN-235 MPAs, 11 C-212s and 11 Panthers as its core, with Bonanza, Baron and Piper trainers, a King Air, Bell 412 helicopters and drones. Its daily work is patrol over a sea area larger than its fleet can watch, disaster relief and logistics, and its losses have been training ones, such as the Bonanza that crashed into the Madura Strait on 7 September 2022. The large ambitions — a carrier deck, Turkish Bayraktar TB3 drones, which Wikipedia lists as 60 on order — are announced but not yet in service, and how a helicopter carrier will be manned, equipped and paid for had not been published by October 2026.
The Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) in numbers
Service
- Native name
- Pusat Penerbangan TNI Angkatan Laut (Puspenerbal)The Naval Aviation Center of the Indonesian Navy, as Indonesian Wikipedia and Antara name it; commanders are styled Komandan Puspenerbal (Danpuspenerbal). English Wikipedia has no separate article: "Indonesian Naval Aviation" redirects to Indonesian Navy
- Founded
- 17 June 1956Derived from the 67th anniversary celebrated on 17 June 2023 (Antara). The Naval Aviation Center itself was formed on 13 June 2006
- Part of
- Indonesian Navy (TNI AL)One of the navy’s central executive agencies, led by a rear admiral (Wikipedia)
- Headquarters
- Juanda, SurabayaNaval Air Station Juanda, Sidoarjo, which shares its runway with Juanda International Airport
- Commander
- Rear Adm. Bayu AlisyahbanaNamed as commander by Antara on 27 October 2025; appointment date not found
- Structure
- Three air wings, six squadronsIndonesian Wikipedia; Wing Udara 1 at Tanjungpinang and Wing Udara 2 at Juanda are confirmed by Antara. The third wing was not identified
Strength
- Aircraft
- About 42 aircraft, 32 helicopters and 20 dronesThe Indonesian Navy infobox on English Wikipedia, which may count the whole navy; the type-by-type list below is smaller
- Maritime patrol
- 6 CN-235 MPA, 11 C-212Three of the C-212s are NC-212 MPAs with Thales Ocean Master radar; one more CN-235 on order
- Helicopters
- 11 AS565 MBe Panther, plus Bell 412sThe Panthers are the anti-submarine force; Bell 412s flew in the October 2025 fleet review. Older types listed by Indonesian Wikipedia were not confirmed
- Trainers
- About 14Seven Bonanza G36s (after one crash), two Baron G58s and five Piper Archer DXs, per Wikipedia
- Drones
- ScanEagle; 60 TB3 on order14 ScanEagles ordered, some received in 2021; 60 Bayraktar TB3s listed as on order
- Fighters
- NoneThe strike role ended with the Il-28s, retired by 1972
Infrastructure
- Main base
- Naval Air Station JuandaClass A naval air station and Puspenerbal headquarters; runway 10/28, 3,000 m
- Second wing
- TanjungpinangWing Udara 1, Riau Islands
- Forward operations
- Ambon and elsewhereSquadron 800 CN-235s flew from Pattimura, Ambon, for Operation Tameng Papua in April 2026
- Carrier
- Ex-Giuseppe GaribaldiArrived September 2026; reported names KRI Gajah Mada (August) and KRI Sriwijaya (September)
- Museum
- Naval Aviation Museum, JuandaFull-size aircraft on display, according to Wikipedia
How the Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) is organised
The Indonesian Navy’s air arm, headquartered at Juanda in Surabaya, with three air wings and six squadrons by Indonesian Wikipedia’s count. Its core is six CN-235 MPAs, 11 C-212s and 11 AS565 MBe Panther anti-submarine helicopters, with trainers, Bell 412s and ScanEagle drones; it has had no strike aircraft since the Il-28s were retired by 1972. Sixty Bayraktar TB3 drones and four A-Viators are listed as on order. The Indonesian Air Force is a separate service and is not counted here.
Naval Aviation Center
The Indonesian Navy’s air arm, a central executive agency of the navy led by a rear admiral, formed under this name on 13 June 2006 and dating its lineage to 17 June 1956. Antara named Rear Admiral Bayu Alisyahbana as commander in October 2025. Indonesian Wikipedia gives three air wings with six squadrons.
Wing Udara 2
The wing at Juanda, with five squadrons listed by Wikipedia: 100 (anti-submarine, AS565 MBe Panther), 200 (training, Bonanza G36, TB-9 and EC120B), 600 (rapid logistics, C-212), 700 (ScanEagle drones) and 800 (maritime patrol, CN-235-220 MPA).
Wing Udara 1
The wing at Tanjungpinang in the Riau Islands; Antara reported its Panthers flying flood relief in North Sumatra on 2 December 2025. Its other aircraft were not published.
Air Squadron 400
The helicopter squadron that trained for carrier operations on 25–26 August 2026, landing on KRI Makassar, ahead of the arrival of the former Italian carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi. Its base was not stated in the source.
Air Squadron 800
Six CN-235 MPAs, with one more on order, are the core of the patrol force, alongside 11 C-212s of which three are NC-212 MPAs. In April 2026 CN235 P-8301 flew from Ambon for Operation Tameng Papua-26.
Air Squadron 200
Trains naval pilots on Bonanza G36, Baron, Piper Archer, TB-9 and EC120B; its Bonanzas flew the display at the 67th anniversary in 2023. Bonanza T-2503 was lost in the Madura Strait on 7 September 2022.
What the Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASA/IPTN CN-235-220 MPAIn service | Maritime patrol | 6 | Six MPAs in service and one on order, per Wikipedia citing FlightGlobal; two were being upgraded. | |||
| CASA/IPTN C-212 Aviocar (incl. NC-212 MPA)In service | Patrol and transport | 11 | 11, three of them NC-212 MPAs with FLIR and Thales Ocean Master radar. | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 350iIn service | VIP transport | 1 | One. | |||
| Beechcraft Baron G58In service | Advanced trainer and light transport | 2 | Two. | |||
| Beechcraft Bonanza G36In service | Trainer | 7 | Seven, after one lost in the Madura Strait (Wikipedia). | |||
| Piper PA-28 Archer DXIn service | Trainer | 5 | Five. | |||
| SOCATA TB-9 TampicoIn service | Trainer | |||||
| Airbus Helicopters AS565 MBe PantherIn service | Anti-submarine and utility helicopter | 11 | 2016 | 11 ordered in 2014 and in service. | ||
| Bell 412 (NBell 412)In service | Utility helicopter | |||||
| Eurocopter EC120B ColibriIn service | Training helicopter | |||||
| MBB/IPTN NBO-105In service | Light helicopter | |||||
| Aérospatiale/IPTN NAS 332 Super PumaIn service | Medium helicopter | |||||
| GAF NomadIn service | Patrol and utility | |||||
| Boeing Insitu ScanEagle (MQ-27B)In service | Unmanned surveillance | 2021 | 14 ordered; some received in 2021. |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CASA/IPTN CN-235 MPAOn order | 1 | One on order per Wikipedia’s equipment list; delivery date not published. | ||
| Vulcanair AP.68TP-600 A-ViatorOn order | 4 | Maritime patrol, utility and training; four on order per Wikipedia. Order date not confirmed. | ||
| Baykar Bayraktar TB3On order | 60 | Ship-borne armed drone; 60 listed as on order with local production planned, per Wikipedia. Contract date and delivery schedule were not confirmed in the sources reached. |
Every type the Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) has retired
3 types, from the Fairey Gannet AS.4 / T.5 to the Ilyushin Il-28T / Il-28U. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ilyushin Il-28T / Il-28U | Torpedo bomber | 13 | 1965–1972 | Eleven Il-28T and two Il-28U trainers in 1965, plus aircraft transferred from the air force (number not given). | ||
| Fairey Gannet AS.4 / T.5 | Carrier-type anti-submarine aircraft (shore-based) | 19 | 1959– | 17 AS.4s converted from AS.1s and two trainers delivered; 18 were ordered in January 1959. | ||
| Douglas C-47 Dakota | Transport |
Where Indonesian Naval Aviation flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Juanda, built by the navy in 1960–1964 to replace the Dutch-era base at Morokrembangan, is the headquarters of naval aviation, and Juanda International Airport is a civil enclave on navy land. Wing Udara 1 is at Tanjungpinang in the Riau Islands, and patrol aircraft deploy forward, as to Ambon in 2026. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Air Station JuandaEast Java (Sidoarjo Regency) | Active | 10/283,000 m |
|
|
| Tanjungpinang NavalWing Udara 1Riau Islands | Active |
|
||
| Morokrembangan NavalEast Java (Surabaya) | Closed |
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal)
Flying units by base, current units first. Indonesian naval air squadrons are numbered in hundreds by role — 100 for anti-submarine, 200 for training, 600 for logistics, 700 for drones and 800 for maritime patrol — a scheme that goes back to the 1960s, when the 500th flew Il-28 torpedo bombers. Where a squadron’s base was not published, the entry says so.
- Air Squadron 100 (Anti-Submarine)Anti-submarine helicopter squadron · active
- Airbus Helicopters AS565 MBe Panther
- Air Squadron 200 (Training)Training squadron · active
- Beechcraft Bonanza G36, SOCATA TB-9 Tampico, Eurocopter EC120B Colibri
- Air Squadron 600 (Rapid Logistics)Transport squadron · active
- CASA/IPTN C-212-200 Aviocar
- Air Squadron 700 (UAV)Drone squadron · active
- Boeing Insitu ScanEagle (MQ-27B)
- Air Squadron 800 (Tactical Reconnaissance)Maritime patrol squadron · active
- CASA/IPTN CN-235-220 MPA
- Air Squadron 500 (Torpedo Bomber)1965–1972
- Ilyushin Il-28T and Il-28U
- Wing Udara 1 (Air Wing 1)Naval air wing · active
- Airbus Helicopters AS565 MBe Panther
No unit matches that search.
Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) milestones, 1914 to today
The Dutch naval aviation service opens Morokrembangan naval air base in Surabaya.
10 September: the Indonesian Navy’s official founding date, during the revolution.
17 June: the founding date of Indonesian naval aviation, as implied by its 67th anniversary in 2023.
January: Indonesia orders 18 Fairey Gannets for the navy; 17 AS.4s and two trainers are delivered.
15 January: in the Arafura Sea a Dutch Neptune spots Indonesian torpedo boats; Commodore Yos Sudarso is killed. 15 August: the New York Agreement ends the Western New Guinea dispute.
22 September: the new runway at Waru (Juanda) is declared operational, and naval aircraft make the first landing.
12 August: President Sukarno inaugurates the Juanda air base.
The 500th Squadron at Juanda receives eleven Il-28T torpedo bombers and two Il-28Us.
The last naval Il-28s are retired.
13 June: all naval aviation is placed under the Naval Aviation Center (Puspenerbal).
Eleven AS565 MBe Panther anti-submarine helicopters are ordered.
23 November: the first three Panthers are handed over.
The first ScanEagle drones are received.
7 September: Bonanza T-2503 crashes into the Madura Strait during a fleet exercise.
17 June: the 67th anniversary at Juanda. 26 October: Rear Adm. Sisyani Jaffar becomes commander.
Panther HS-1305 serves with UNIFIL’s Maritime Task Force off Lebanon aboard KRI Diponegoro-365.
2 October: naval aircraft fly in the TNI’s 80th anniversary review. 2 December: Panthers fly flood relief in North Sumatra.
25–26 August: carrier landing drills; September: the former Italian carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi arrives in Indonesia.
Every operation Indonesian Naval Aviation has flown in
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- Operation Trikora (Western New Guinea) 1961–1962 Listed by Indonesian Wikipedia among the arm’s operations; what naval aircraft flew is not documented in the sources reached
- Confrontation with Malaysia (Dwikora) and the PGRS/Paraku campaign 1963–1966 Listed by Indonesian Wikipedia among the arm’s operations; no naval air actions are documented in the sources reached
- Invasion and occupation of East Timor (Operation Seroja) 1975–1999 Listed by Indonesian Wikipedia among the arm’s operations; no details found
- Security operations in Aceh 1976–2005 Listed by Indonesian Wikipedia among the arm’s operations; no details found
- UNIFIL Maritime Task Force, Lebanon 2024 UN peacekeeping: a ship-borne Panther helicopter with the Maritime Task Force
Who built the Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) fleet
Every company behind the aircraft on this page has its own page: the story, every type it built, the numbers and the other air forces that fly them.
Current fleet and orders
IPTN, Beechcraft, CASA, Aérospatiale, Airbus Helicopters, Baykar, Bell, Eurocopter, Government Aircraft Factories, Insitu, Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB), Piper, SOCATA, Vulcanair
Everything people ask about the Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal)
What is Puspenerbal?
When was Indonesian naval aviation founded?
What aircraft does the Indonesian Navy fly?
Did the Indonesian Navy fly bombers?
Does Indonesia have an aircraft carrier?
Who commands Indonesian naval aviation?
Where is the Indonesian Navy’s air base?
What anti-submarine helicopters does Indonesia have?
Has the Indonesian Navy lost aircraft recently?
Read the aircraft the Indonesian Naval Aviation (Puspenerbal) flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Antara: Atraksi pesawat Bonanza G-36 di HUT Penerbangan TNI AL (17 June 2023)67th anniversary of naval aviation at Lanudal Juanda on 17 June 2023; Bonanza G36 of Squadron 200, Wing Udara 2.
- Antara: Kasal Muhammad Ali pimpin serah terima tiga jabatan strategis (26 October 2023)Rear Adm. Imam Musani hands command of Puspenerbal to First Adm. Sisyani Jaffar.
- Antara: TNI AL dan Bandara Juanda gagalkan penyelundupan 60.205 benih lobster (8 February 2025)Names Rear Adm. Sisyani Jaffar as commander of the Naval Aviation Center on 7 February 2025.
- Antara: Pemprov Kepri – TNI AL perkuat sinergi jaga pertahanan laut dan udara (27 October 2025)Rear Adm. Bayu Alisyahbana as commander of Puspenerbal, Tanjungpinang.
- Antara: Danpuspenerbal: Tim temukan titik lokasi jatuh pesawat Bonanza TNI AL (7 September 2022)Bonanza G36 T-2503 crash in the Madura Strait; times; crew; Rear Adm. Dwika T. Setiawan.
- Antara: Heli TNI AL lanjutkan misi di Lebanon setelah lolos uji berkala PBB (14 November 2024)Panther HS-1305 aboard KRI Diponegoro-365 with MTF UNIFIL; inspection 13 November 2024.
- Antara: Prabowo leads naval inspection to mark TNI’s 80th anniversary (2 October 2025)Naval aircraft in the review: Bonanza, Piper, CN-235, NC-212, Bell 412, Panther, three UAVs.
- Antara: TNI AL kerahkan dua helikopter kirim logistik ke lokasi banjir Tapteng (3 December 2025)Two AS565 MBe Panthers of Wing Udara 1 (Tanjungpinang) on 2 December 2025; wing commander Col. Anang Adhi Purwonugroho.
- Antara: Guspurla Koarmada III operasikan pesawat perkuat perairan timur (29 April 2026)CN235-220 MPA P-8301 of Squadron 800, Wing Udara 2, at Pattimura, Ambon, for Operation Tameng Papua-26.
- Antara: Indonesian military holds joint drills ahead of carrier operations (28 August 2026)Drills of 25–26 August 2026 with the 400th Air Squadron; landings on KRI Makassar; Admiral Muhammad Ali on the name KRI Gajah Mada.
- Antara: RI plans aircraft carrier for helicopter disaster operations (7 September 2026)President Prabowo: the carrier will be refurbished as a carrier of helicopters and drones.
- Antara: Navy prepares escort for Garibaldi’s arrival in Indonesian waters (14 September 2026)At least two frigates and Naval Aviation Center aircraft to escort the carrier from ALKI I.
- Antara: Indonesian Navy prepares 310 personnel for first aircraft carrier (17 September 2026)Carrier in Indonesian waters, to dock at Tanjung Priok; named KRI Sriwijaya; 310 crew in training.
Figures verified 2026-10-01. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Jauhsekali / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Aeroprints.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Robbie Klinkenberg / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Hindrawan (Puspenerbal TNI-AL) / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joe Bishop / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Photo: U.S. Navy photo by PH3 Aaron L. Lane / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)