Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara) was founded on 9 April 1946 with captured Japanese trainers in the middle of a war of independence, became in the early 1960s the only Southeast Asian air force with Tu-16 strategic bombers, collapsed with its Soviet supply line after 1965, rebuilt on American, British, Russian and Korean aircraft, and in 2026 is taking delivery of 42 Rafales while signing for Turkish KAAN fighters and weighing Chinese J-10s.
The Indonesian Air Force story: captured Japanese trainers, Tu-16 bombers, an arms embargo and Rafales
1945–1949: an air force of captured Japanese trainers
Indonesia proclaimed independence on 17 August 1945 and had to build an air force from what the Japanese left behind. The aviation branch of the People’s Security Army was formed on 5 October 1945 under Soerjadi Soerjadarma, a former bombardier and navigator of the Dutch colonial forces; on 9 April 1946 it became the Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia (AURI), the date the service still keeps as its birthday. On 27 October 1945 Agustinus Adisutjipto flew a Yokosuka K5Y ‘Cureng’ trainer over Maguwo, Yogyakarta, the first flight by an Indonesian pilot of the new republic. On 29 July 1947, according to the service’s own tradition, three surviving aircraft bombed Dutch positions at Semarang, Salatiga and Ambarawa before dawn. The same evening two Dutch P-40s shot down a Dakota carrying Red Cross medicine from Malaya near Yogyakarta, killing Adisutjipto and Abdulrachman Saleh; 29 July is kept as the air force’s Hari Bakti (day of service).
1950–1962: rebellions, MiGs and the West New Guinea campaign
After the Netherlands recognised Indonesian sovereignty in 1949 the air force took over Dutch airfields and aircraft, among them P-51 Mustangs, B-25 Mitchells and Catalinas, and in the mid-1950s bought Vampire jets. Its first real test came against its own countrymen: in 1958 the PRRI and Permesta rebellions had an air arm of their own, AUREV, flying CIA-supplied B-26s with American crews. On 18 May 1958 a Mustang flown by Ignatius Dewanto, together with naval anti-aircraft fire, brought down the American Allen Pope over Ambon, an embarrassment for the Eisenhower administration. By then Jakarta had turned east: MiG-15UTIs arrived from 1958, 49 MiG-17s from 1959, then MiG-19s, MiG-21s and Il-28s. For Operation Trikora, the 1961–62 campaign for West New Guinea, the air force massed MiG-17s, Il-28s and Tu-16s in the Moluccas and dropped 1,154 troops into the territory; the Netherlands handed it over under the New York Agreement of 15 August 1962 before the planned assault on Biak.
1963–1970: Tu-16 bombers, Konfrontasi and the collapse after 1965
The Tupolev Tu-16s were the crown of that force: 12 bombers, 12 missile-carrying Tu-16KS-1s and two reconnaissance Tu-16Rs from 1961, which made Indonesia the first air force in Southeast Asia with a strategic bombing capability. In Konfrontasi with Malaysia (1963–1966) they were used for intimidation and leaflet flights, and Wikipedia, citing Indonesian sources, records a Tu-16 bombing Tawau in Sabah in December 1963. The one well-documented air operation of the conflict was the night of 2 September 1964, when two C-130s dropped 96 paratroopers near Labis in Johor and a third crashed into the Strait of Malacca while evading an RAF Javelin. After the killings of generals on 1 October 1965, in which the Suharto-era account implicated Halim air base and the air force chief Omar Dani, and which historians such as John Roosa read differently, the Soviet link was cut. By early 1970 only 15–20 per cent of aircraft were airworthy; the Tu-16s were withdrawn.
1975–1999: East Timor, Skyhawks, Broncos and the embargoes
The New Order rebuilt with Western aircraft: Australian-built Sabres from 1973, T-33s, OV-10F Broncos and, from April 1980, F-5E/F Tiger IIs at Iswahjudi. Skyhawks came through Operation Alpha, a secret deal with Israel, a country with which Indonesia had no diplomatic relations, and 15 more from US stocks in 1982. Much of this equipment went to East Timor, invaded in December 1975 with an airborne assault on Dili and annexed in 1976; on 22 December 1975 the UN Security Council had unanimously called on Indonesia to withdraw (Resolution 384). The Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR), set up under UN administration, found that the military used napalm and chemical agents against areas held by Fretilin in the encirclement campaign of 1977–1979, when newly delivered OV-10 Broncos were flying there; it put conflict-related deaths over 1974–1999 at a minimum of 102,800. Indonesia’s government acknowledged state responsibility only for 1999, through the joint Commission of Truth and Friendship in 2008.
1999–2022: Sukhois, second-hand F-16s and the Bawean stand-off
In 1999, after the East Timor referendum and its violence, Hawk 109/209s covering the withdrawal from Kupang intercepted Australian aircraft twice, and the United States imposed an arms embargo that lasted until November 2005. The air force turned to Russia: two Su-27SKs and two Su-30MKs arrived in 2003, partly paid for in palm oil, three Su-27SKMs and three Su-30MK2s followed, and six more Su-30MK2s were ordered in December 2011, making 16 Flankers at Makassar. The F-16 force of 12 bought in 1989 had shrunk to ten, and it was two F-16Bs of the 3rd Squadron that on 3 July 2003 met F/A-18s from USS Carl Vinson near Bawean Island. Indonesia said it had issued no clearance; the US embassy said permission had been sought. The embargo’s end brought 24 refurbished ex-USAF F-16C/D Block 25s (2014–2018), T-50i and KT-1 trainers from Korea, Super Tucanos from Brazil, and a share in Korea’s KF-21.
2022–2026: Rafale, A400M and a shopping list that does not add up
On 10 February 2022 Indonesia ordered 42 Rafales, its first new Western fighter since the F-16, after a Su-35 deal was abandoned in December 2021; talks on up to 36 F-15s, approved by Washington in February 2022, were reported inactive in January 2026. Six Rafales were handed over at Halim on 18 May 2026 with the first A400M, and the rest are to arrive in stages to 2029. That is the good news. The rest of the list is harder to read: a contract for 48 Turkish KAANs signed in July 2025, a defence minister confirming Chinese J-10s in October 2025 without saying how many, a KF-21 share cut from about 20 to 7.5 per cent after years of arrears, and Turkish and Chinese drones. Keeping Russian, American and French fighters flying side by side is already expensive. The more modest achievements, such as radars growing from 20 to a planned 30 by 2029, may matter more for a country spread across an archipelago.
The Indonesian Air Force in numbers
Dienst
- Inheemse naam
- Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan UdaraTNI AU for short. The official site uses this name; from 1946 to the 1960s the service was the Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia (AURI)
- Opgericht
- 9 April 1946The aviation branch of the People’s Security Army dates from 5 October 1945; it became AURI on 9 April 1946, the date of the first chief’s appointment on the official list
- Onderdeel van
- Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI)One of the three services under the TNI commander, alongside the army and navy
- Hoofdkwartier
- Cilangkap, East JakartaMabes AU Cilangkap, Gedung B1, Jakarta Timur 13870
- stafchef
- Air Chief Marshal Mohamad Tonny HarjonoSuccessor to Fadjar Prasetyo, whose term ended on 5 April 2024; in office in April 2026
- Motto
- Swa Bhuwana PaksaSanskrit, ‘wings of the motherland’
Kracht
- Personeel
- About 30,100The 2023 figure in Wikipedia’s infobox; an official current figure was not found
- Gevechtsvliegtuigen
-
- Rafale — 6 delivered of 42 ordered
- F-16A/B/C/D — about 33
- Su-30MK/MK2 — 11
- Su-27SK/SKM — 5
- Hawk 109/209 — 21–29 (sources differ)
- EMB 314 Super Tucano — about 13
Counts from Wikipedia’s fleet list and ANTARA; the Rafale figure is the number handed over by August 2026
- Trainers
-
- T-50i Golden Eagle — about 19
- KT-1B Woongbi — about 15
- Grob G 120TP — about 30
T-50i with the 15th Squadron at Iswahjudi; KT-1B also flies with the Jupiters display team
- Vervoer
-
- A400M Atlas — 2
- C-130B/H/H-30/J-30 and L-100 — about 20
- CN295 — 9
- CN235 and NC212 — number not confirmed
- Falcon 8X — 4
- Boeing 737 (transport and surveillance) — 6
The A400M is the air force’s newest type; C-130s of several generations remain the backbone
- Helikopters
-
- H225M/EC725 Caracal — about 14
- NAS332/AS332 Super Puma — number not confirmed
The SA330 Puma was retired in 2023
- Totale vliegtuigen
- About 263 (2025)Wikipedia’s infobox figure; no official total was found
Infrastructuur
- Gevechtsvleugels
-
- 31st Air Wing, Roesmin Nurjadin (Pekanbaru) — Rafale (Sq 12), F-16 (Sq 16)
- 32nd Air Wing, Iswahjudi (Madiun) — F-16 (Sq 3, Sq 14), T-50i (Sq 15)
- 33rd Air Wing, Sultan Hasanuddin (Makassar) — Su-27/Su-30 (Sq 11)
Wikipedia’s organisation table; fighter squadrons named in ANTARA and Indonesian Wikipedia
- Transport wings
-
- 11th Air Wing, Halim Perdanakusuma (Jakarta)
- 12th Air Wing, Abdul Rachman Saleh (Malang)
- 13th Air Wing, Manuhua (Biak)
Per Wikipedia’s organisation table
- Air defence radars
- 20 in service, 30 planned by 2029Chief of Staff Tonny Harjono on 9 April 2026; 25 new radars, some replacing old ones
- Operational command
- National Air Operations Command (Koopsudnas)Headquartered at Halim Perdanakusuma; sector commands at Medan, Makassar, Biak and Jakarta run the radars
- Ground forces
- Kopasgat (‘Orange Berets’)The air force’s quick-reaction and airfield-defence corps, dating from 17 October 1947
- Displayteam
- The JupitersEight KT-1B Woongbi at the Independence Day flypast of 17 August 2026
How the Indonesian Air Force is organised
One headquarters at Cilangkap, the National Air Operations Command at Halim Perdanakusuma and numbered air wings across the archipelago. The fighters are in three wings: Rafales and F-16s at Pekanbaru, F-16s and T-50i trainers at Iswahjudi and Su-27s and Su-30s at Makassar; transport wings fly from Jakarta, Malang and Biak. Kopasgat, the ‘Orange Berets’, is the air force’s own quick-reaction and airfield-defence corps.
Air Force Headquarters
At Cilangkap, East Jakarta, one of three services of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). Air Chief Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono has been Chief of Staff since April 2024, succeeding Fadjar Prasetyo, whose term closed on 5 April 2024.
National Air Operations Command
Headquartered at Halim Perdanakusuma, per Wikipedia, with sector commands at Medan, Makassar, Biak and Jakarta running the radars. The Chief of Staff said on 9 April 2026 that the network would grow from 20 to 30 radars by 2029.
31st Air Wing
Squadron 12, Indonesia’s first Rafale squadron, with six aircraft handed over in 2026 of 42 ordered, and Squadron 16 with refurbished ex-USAF F-16C/Ds delivered 2014–2018.
32nd Air Wing
F-16s of Squadrons 3 and 14 and the T-50i lead-in trainers of Squadron 15, on the base that held Indonesia’s Tu-16 bombers from 1961 to 1970.
33rd Air Wing
Squadron 11’s five Su-27s and 11 Su-30s, bought from 2003 during the US arms embargo, with Boeing 737 and CN235 surveillance aircraft and Hercules beside Makassar’s airport.
11th, 12th and 13th Air Wings
Heavy and VIP transport at Halim Perdanakusuma in Jakarta, Hercules and NC212s at Malang and CN235s on Biak, per Wikipedia’s organisation table; Squadron 21’s Super Tucanos also fly from Malang. The first two A400Ms arrived in November 2025 and March 2026.
Luchtmachtacademie
At Adisutjipto since 1959, on the field where the republic’s military flying began in 1945, with Grob G 120TP and KT-1B trainers; the KT-1Bs also fly with the Jupiters display team.
What the Indonesian Air Force flies today
Elk type is gekoppeld aan de bijbehorende pagina in het Boek der Beesten, indien aanwezig. Het aantal vliegtuigen betreft de geregistreerde vliegtuigen, niet de vliegtuigen die op een bepaalde dag beschikbaar zijn.
| Type | Rol | In dienst | Sinds | Eenheden | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault RafaleIn dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 6 | 2026 | — | Six handed over by May 2026 (three early 2026, three in May) of 42 ordered on 10 February 2022; one Wikipedia list shows only 30 ordered, but the defence minister and deputy chief both give 42. | |
| General Dynamics / Lockheed Martin F-16A/B and F-16C/D Block 25 Fighting FalconIn dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 33 | 1989 | — | Wikipedia’s list: 7 F-16A, 3 F-16B, 18 F-16C, 5 F-16D. Of 12 A/Bs bought, two were lost; 24 ex-USAF C/Ds were delivered. | |
| Sukhoi Su-30MK and Su-30MK2In dienst | Multifunctionele gevechtsvliegtuig | 11 | 2003 | — | Two Su-30MK (2003), three Su-30MK2 (2008–2010) and six Su-30MK2 ordered in December 2011. | |
| Sukhoi Su-27SK and Su-27SKMIn dienst | luchtsuperioriteitsjager | 5 | 2003 | — | Two Su-27SK bought in 2003 and three Su-27SKM in 2007. | |
| BAE Hawk 109 and Hawk 209In dienst | Light combat aircraft | — | 1996 | — | 21–29. Wikipedia’s fleet list gives 21 (32 bought, 11 lost); the Hawk article gives about 22 Hawk 209 and 7 Hawk 109.
MeerWikipedia’s air force article gives the 1993 order as 8 Mk 109 and 32 Mk 209. |
|
| Embraer EMB 314 Super TucanoIn dienst | Light attack and counter-insurgency | 13 | 2012 | — | 16 bought (eight in June 2011, eight in July 2012); three lost. | |
| KAI T-50i Golden EagleIn dienst | Lead-in fighter trainer | 19 | 2013 | — | 16 delivered by 2014; six more ordered, the first two due in November 2025. Wikipedia’s list counts 19 in service. | |
| KAI KT-1B WoongbiIn dienst | Basic trainer and display aircraft | 15 | — | Seven ordered in 2002 and 12 in 2006 per Wikipedia’s air force article; its fleet list gives 12 (2011) plus 3 (2018). About 15 in service. | ||
| Grob G 120TPIn dienst | Elementaire trainer | 30 | — | About 30 per Wikipedia’s list; 18 were ordered in 2011. | ||
| Airbus A400M AtlasIn dienst | Strategic transport and tanker | 2 | 2025 | — | Two bought; a letter of intent covers four more. | |
| Lockheed C-130B/H/H-30, C-130J-30 and L-100-30 HerculesIn dienst | Tactisch transport | — | — | About 20 of all versions; Wikipedia’s list gives 12 C-130H, 5 C-130H-30, 3 L-100 plus C-130J-30s without a firm figure. | ||
| Airbus / PTDI CN295In dienst | Tactisch transport | 9 | — | Nine per Wikipedia’s list, several assembled by Indonesian Aerospace (PTDI). | ||
| PTDI / CASA CN235 and NC212In dienst | Light transport and maritime patrol | — | — | Number not confirmed; nine NC212i on order per Wikipedia’s list. | ||
| Dassault Falcon 8XIn dienst | VIP-vervoer | 4 | 2023 | — | Four handed over on 18 May 2026; the first had joined the air force in November 2023. | |
| Boeing 737-200/400/500/800 and 737-2X9 SurveillerIn dienst | Transport- en maritiem toezicht | 6 | — | Six of several versions per Wikipedia’s list. | ||
| Airbus Helicopters H225M / EC725 CaracalIn dienst | Zoek- en reddingsoperaties in gevechtssituaties | 14 | — | About 14 per Wikipedia’s list, 12 in CSAR configuration. | ||
| Airbus Helicopters (PTDI) NAS332 / AS332 Super PumaIn dienst | Transport and VIP helicopter | — | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | ||
| CASC CH-4B RainbowIn dienst | Gewapende verkenningsdrone | — | — | Aantal niet gepubliceerd. | ||
| TAI Anka-SIn dienst | Gewapende verkenningsdrone | — | 2025 | — | Wikipedia: 12 ordered for all services, six for the air force, three delivered in 2025. |
Op bestelling
| Type | Besteld | Eerste levering | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault RafaleOp bestelling | 36 | 2026 | 42 ordered on 10 February 2022 in three tranches (6, 18, 18); six handed over by May 2026.
MeerThe deputy chief of staff said on 23 September 2026 that another 18 would arrive in stages from 2027, with the order complete by 2029. |
|
| TAI KAANOp bestelling | 48 | Contract for 48 signed on 26 July 2025 in Turkey, reportedly worth about US$10 billion, with final assembly by Indonesian Aerospace; deliveries over roughly ten years.
MeerWikipedia notes that it may not be a final sale, and its air force article dates the contract to 2026, which conflicts with the Kaan article and ANTARA. |
||
| Chengdu J-10 (reported)Op bestelling | — | Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed on 15 October 2025 that J-10s would be acquired but gave no number or date.
MeerA figure of 42 comes from a report by Intelligence Online and from AP; it has not been officially confirmed. |
||
| KAI KF-21 BoramaeOp bestelling | 1 | One of six prototypes to be handed over after Indonesia settled its reduced 600 billion won contribution (June 2026). Any production purchase was still under discussion. | ||
| KAI T-50i Golden EagleOp bestelling | 6 | 2025 | Six ordered; first two due in November 2025. How many had arrived by September 2026 was not confirmed. | |
| Airbus A400M Atlas (option)Op bestelling | 4 | Letter of intent for four more, beyond the two delivered. | ||
| Leonardo M-346F (reported)Op bestelling | 24 | Wikipedia’s fleet list reports a letter of intent in February 2026 for 24 plus 12 options; not confirmed on an official page. |
Every type the Indonesian Air Force has retired
23 types, from the Yokosuka K5Y ‘Cureng’ and other ex-Japanese aircraft to the Aerospatiale SA330 Puma. De piekcijfers hebben betrekking op het aantal vliegtuigen dat gedurende de gehele levensduur in gebruik is genomen, niet op de vlootsterkte op een bepaalde datum.
| Type | Rol | Piek | Geserveerd | Vervangen door | Notities | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospatiale SA330 Puma | Transporthelikopter | — | — | H225M | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II | Vechter | — | 1980–2017 | Su-27/Su-30 (interim), F-16C/D | Number not confirmed; the first eight arrived on 21 April 1980. | |
| Fokker F27 Friendship | Vervoer | — | — | CN295 | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Douglas A-4E/TA-4H Skyhawk | Aanvalsvliegtuigen | — | 1980–2004 | Su-27/Su-30 | 31–32. Wikipedia’s air force article gives 32 ex-Israeli; its A-4 article gives about 16 via Operation Alpha plus 15 from US stocks in 1982; Squadron 11 had 16. | |
| CAC CA-27 Avon Sabre | Vechter | 16 | 1973–1982 | F-5E/F | 16 arriving from 19 February 1973 per Indonesian Wikipedia. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI | Straaltrainer | 30 | 1958–1970 | — | 30 from mid-1958 per Indonesian Wikipedia. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F and MiG-17PF | Vechter | 49 | 1959–1970 | — | 49 from early 1959 (via Czechoslovakia and Poland) per Indonesian Wikipedia; 40 were deployed for Trikora per English Wikipedia. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19S | Vechter | — | 1962–1970 | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21F-13 | Onderschepper | 20 | 1962–1970 | CAC Sabre | 20 with Squadron 14 per Indonesian Wikipedia. | |
| Ilyushin Il-28 | Lichte bommenwerper | — | 1961–1970 | — | 18 were deployed for Trikora. | |
| Tupolev Tu-16, Tu-16KS-1 and Tu-16R | Strategic bomber and missile carrier | 26 | 1961–1970 | — | 12 Tu-16, 12 Tu-16KS-1 and 2 Tu-16R per Wikipedia’s Tu-16 article; its air force article says about 25 Tu-16KS and that one crashed at the end of 1962. | |
| de Havilland DH.115 Vampire | Straaltrainer | 8 | 1955–1963 | MiG-15UTI, MiG-17 | Eight delivered December 1955 to January 1956 per Indonesian Wikipedia. | |
| Yokosuka K5Y ‘Cureng’ and other ex-Japanese aircraft | Trainer and improvised bomber | — | 1945–1949 | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| North American P-51D Mustang | Jachtbommenwerper | — | 1950– | MiG-17 | Seven were deployed at Laha, Ambon, for Operation Trikora. | |
| North American B-25 Mitchell | Middelzware bommenwerper | — | 1950– | Il-28, Tu-16 | Four at Letfuan for Trikora. | |
| Douglas A-26 Invader | Attack bomber | — | — | — | Two at Letfuan for Trikora. | |
| Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina | Amphibian patrol | — | 1950– | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Tupolev Tu-2 | Bommenwerper | — | — | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Lockheed T-33 | Straaltrainer | 16 | 1973– | — | 16 from August 1973 per Indonesian Wikipedia. | |
| North American Rockwell OV-10F Bronco | Counter-insurgency | — | 1977– | EMB 314 Super Tucano | 13 acquired in February 1977 per Wikipedia’s occupation article; other totals were not confirmed. | |
| BAE Hawk Mk 53 | Gevorderde trainer | 20 | 1980– | T-50i | 20 delivered 1980–1984 (orders of 1978, 1981 and 1982); five bought back by BAE in 1999. | |
| Beechcraft T-34 Mentor | Hoofdtrainer | — | — | Grob G 120TP | Aantal niet bevestigd. | |
| Mil Mi-4 and Mi-6 | Transporthelikopter | — | 1960– | — | Aantal niet bevestigd. |
Where the Indonesian Air Force flies from
Zwarte pinnen geven actieve bases aan, holle pinnen de vliegvelden die gesloten zijn. The fighter bases are Iswahjudi in Java, Roesmin Nurjadin at Pekanbaru on Sumatra and Sultan Hasanuddin at Makassar; many air force bases share their runways with civil airports, and Kemayoran, Jakarta’s first international airport and a MiG base in the early 1960s, closed on 31 March 1985. Raden Sadjad on Natuna Besar, enlarged since 2016, is the air force’s closest airfield to the South China Sea; Wikipedia ties its expansion to the disputes there and to unauthorised foreign vessels in Indonesian waters. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
| Baseren | ICAO | Status | Startbaan | Eenheden en vliegtuigen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abdul Rachman Saleh Air Force BaseEast Java (Malang Regency, Pakis) | WARA | Actief | 17/352500 m |
|
| Adisutjipto Air Force BaseSpecial Region of Yogyakarta (Sleman Regency, Maguwoharjo) | WAHH | Actief | — |
|
| Atang Sendjaja Air Force BaseWest Java (Bogor Regency) | WIAJ | Actief | 02/201400 mgras |
|
| El Tari Air Force BaseEast Nusa Tenggara (Kupang, West Timor) | WATT | Actief | — | — |
| Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force BaseJakarta (East Jakarta) | WIHH | Actief | 06/243.000 mhot-mix asphalt |
|
| Husein Sastranegara Air Force BaseWest Java (Bandung) | WICC | Actief | — |
|
| Iswahjudi Air Force BaseEast Java (Magetan Regency, Maospati) | Actief | — |
|
|
| Manuhua Air Force BasePapua (Biak Numfor Regency, Biak) | WABB | Actief | 11/293,571 m |
|
| Raden Sadjad Air Force BaseRiau Islands (Natuna Regency, Ranai) | WIDO | Actief | 18/362,560 m | — |
| Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force BaseRiau (Pekanbaru) | WIBB | Actief | — |
|
| Soewondo Air Force BaseNorth Sumatra (Medan) | WIMK | Actief | 05/233.000 m |
|
| Sultan Hasanuddin Air Force BaseSouth Sulawesi (Maros Regency, near Makassar) | WAAA | Actief | 03/213,202 m13/312500 m |
|
| Supadio Air Force BaseWest Kalimantan (Kubu Raya Regency, near Pontianak) | WIOO | Actief | 15/332600 m |
|
| KemayoranJakarta (Central Jakarta) | WIID | Gesloten in 1985. | 17/352,475 m08/261.850 m |
Geen enkele luchtmachtbasis voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Who is stationed where in the Indonesian Air Force
Vliegende eenheden per basis, met de huidige eenheden eerst. Indonesian squadrons are numbered air squadrons grouped in air wings: the fighter squadrons are 3, 11, 12, 14 and 16, with Hawks in Squadron 1, Squadron 15 trains fighter pilots on the T-50i, and the Tu-16 bomber squadrons 41 and 42 are listed as former units. Dutch colonial squadrons are listed too, marked as not Indonesian, and where a unit rests on Wikipedia alone the entry says so.
- 31st Air Squadron (Heavy Transport)Heavy transport squadron · active
- C-130J-30, C-130H and L-100-30 Hercules, Airbus A400M
- 17th Air Squadron (VIP)VIP-transporteskader · actief
- Dassault Falcon 7X, Boeing 737 (next generation)
- 2nd Air Squadron (Transport)Transporteskader · actief
- Airbus / PTDI CN295
- 45th Air Squadron (VIP helicopters)VIP helicopter squadron · active
- Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma
- National Air Operations Command (Koopsudnas) and Koopsud I headquartersOperational command headquarters · active
- —
- 3rd Air SquadronJachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
- F-16A/B and F-16C/D Fighting Falcon
- 14th Air SquadronJachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
- F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (from 13 October 2022), F-5E/F Tiger II (1980–2017), CAC Avon Sabre (1974–1980), MiG-21F (1962–1970)
- 15th Air SquadronLead-in fighter training squadron · active
- KAI T-50i Golden Eagle
- 463rd Commando Battalion (Kopasgat)Air force ground troops · active
- —
- 41st and 42nd Air Squadrons1961–1970
- Tupolev Tu-16, Tu-16KS-1 and Tu-16R
- Dutch East Indies Army Air Force (ML-KNIL) squadrons1940–1942
- Curtiss 75A-7 Hawk, Brewster Buffalo, Curtiss-Wright CW-21B
- 11th Air SquadronJachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
- Su-30MK and Su-30MK2, Su-27SK and Su-27SKM, A-4E Skyhawk (1989–2004 at this base)
- 5th Air SquadronMaritime reconnaissance squadron · active
- Boeing 737-200 (surveillance), CN235-220
- 33rd Air SquadronTransporteskader · actief
- Lockheed C-130H Hercules
- 12th Air SquadronJachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
- Dassault Rafale (from 2026), BAE Hawk 109/209 (from 1996), A-4 Skyhawk (1980–2004), MiG-19 and MiG-21 (1960s)
- 16th Air SquadronJachtvliegtuigeskader · actief
- F-16C/D Block 25 Fighting Falcon
- 21st Air SquadronLight attack squadron · active
- Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano
- 32nd Air SquadronHeavy transport squadron · active
- Lockheed C-130 Hercules
- 4th Air SquadronLicht transporteskader · actief
- CASA / PTDI C-212 Aviocar
- 101st Training Air SquadronBasic flying training squadron · active
- Grob G 120TP-A
- 102nd Training Air SquadronVliegopleidingseskader · actief
- KAI KT-1B Woongbi
- Indonesian Air Force Academy (Akademi Angkatan Udara)Officer academy · active
- —
- 1st Air SquadronLight fighter squadron · active
- BAE Hawk 109 and Hawk 209
- 51st Air SquadronUnmanned aircraft squadron · active
- Chinese medium-altitude drones
- 27th Air SquadronTransporteskader · actief
- PTDI / CASA CN235
- Western Surveillance WingMaritime surveillance wing · active
- CN235 maritime patrol aircraft
- 11th Air Squadron (formation)1957–1961
- DH.115 Vampire, MiG-15UTI, MiG-17
- Helicopter squadrons and search and rescue air unitHelicopter squadrons · active
- Airbus Helicopters H225M / EC725 Caracal, NAS332 / AS332 Super Puma
Geen enkel apparaat voldoet aan die zoekopdracht.
Indonesian Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
5 October: aviation branch of the People’s Security Army formed. 27 October: Agustinus Adisutjipto flies a K5Y over Maguwo, the first flight by an Indonesian pilot of the republic.
9 April: the Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia is founded, with Soerjadi Soerjadarma as Chief of Staff.
29 July: dawn raids on Dutch positions at Semarang, Salatiga and Ambarawa; that evening Dutch P-40s shoot down a Red Cross Dakota, killing Adisutjipto and Abdulrachman Saleh. 17 October: first airborne drop, in Kalimantan.
18 May: a P-51 and naval gunfire bring down Allen Pope’s AUREV B-26 over Ambon during the Permesta rebellion. MiG-15UTIs arrive.
First Tu-16 bombers arrive at Iswahjudi. 19 December: Operation Trikora ordered for West New Guinea.
1,154 troops dropped into West New Guinea; 15 August: New York Agreement. Squadron 14 forms with MiG-21s.
2 September: C-130s drop 96 paratroopers near Labis, Malaysia; a third C-130 is lost in the Strait of Malacca.
1 October: generals killed and bodies left at Lubang Buaya near Halim; the air force chief Omar Dani is later removed and the Soviet link ends.
Only 15–20 per cent of aircraft airworthy; MiGs make a farewell flypast and the Tu-16s are withdrawn.
7 December: airborne assault on Dili opens the invasion of East Timor; 22 December: UN Security Council Resolution 384 calls on Indonesia to withdraw.
21 April: first F-5E/Fs reach Iswahjudi. Skyhawks from Israel enter service after Operation Alpha.
Eight F-16As and four F-16Bs delivered to the 3rd Squadron.
Hawks cover the withdrawal from East Timor and twice intercept Australian aircraft; US arms embargo follows (lifted November 2005).
First Su-27SKs and Su-30MKs arrive. 3 July: F-16Bs and US Navy F/A-18s face off near Bawean Island.
13 February: T-50i commissioned; first ex-USAF F-16C/Ds arrive in July.
25 April: F-5E/F retired after 37 years.
10 February: 42 Rafales ordered.
18 May: six Rafales, the first A400M and four Falcon 8Xs formally handed over at Halim; 17 August: Rafale and A400M debut over Merdeka Palace.
Every war the Indonesian Air Force has fought
Uitvallen en verliezen waar de gegevens die vermelden, en een eerlijke blanco waar die ontbreken.
- Indonesian National Revolution 1945–1949 Flew captured Japanese trainers on raids and transport flights and made the first airborne drop
- PRRI and Permesta rebellions 1958–1961 Fought the rebels’ air arm (AUREV) and supported landings
- Operatie Trikora 1961–1962 Massed fighters and bombers in the Moluccas and dropped troops into Dutch-held territory
- Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation 1963–1966 Intimidation flights, paradrops and support of cross-border raids
- Counter-insurgency in West Kalimantan 1967–1970s Helicopter insertion, supply and evacuation against communist guerrillas
Indonesian Air Force news from Afterburner
Everything MiGFlug’s magazine has published on the Indonesian Air Force and the aircraft it flies. Deze lijst wordt automatisch vernieuwd — nieuwe Afterburner-verhalen verschijnen hier automatisch.
Everything people ask about the Indonesian Air Force
What is the Indonesian Air Force called in Indonesian?
What fighter jets does the Indonesian Air Force fly in 2026?
When did Indonesia get its Rafales?
Is Indonesia buying Chinese J-10 fighters?
Did Indonesia really have Tu-16 strategic bombers?
What happened in the 2003 Bawean incident?
What role did the air force play in East Timor?
Why does Indonesia fly Russian and American jets at the same time?
Is Indonesia still part of the KF-21 programme?
Why is 29 July special for the Indonesian Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Indonesian Air Force flew
Elk type met een pagina in het Boek der Dieren, eerst op basis van de periode dat het in dienst was, daarna op basis van het jaar waarin het de vloot verliet.
Alle feiten gecontroleerd
- TNI Angkatan Udara: official website (home page)Official site of the service; news items of September 2026.
- TNI Angkatan Udara: KASAU dari masa ke masaOfficial list of Chiefs of Staff from Soerjadi Soerjadarma (9 April 1946) to Fadjar Prasetyo (to 5 April 2024).
- TNI Angkatan Udara: ProfilOfficial name Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara; HQ Mabes AU Cilangkap, East Jakarta; vision statement.
- ANTARA: Indonesia to receive 18 more Rafale jets in stages through 2029 (23 September 2026)Six delivered (three early 2026, three in May 2026) of 42 in three tranches; Squadron 12 at Roesmin Nurjadin, Pekanbaru; Deputy Chief of Staff Tedi Rizalihadi.
- ANTARA: Indonesian Air Force sends Rafale pilots to France for tactical course (23 September 2026)Headline only, used for the fact of the course.
- ANTARA: National defense strengthened by its equipment: President (18 May 2026)Handover at Halim of six Rafales, four Falcon 8X, one A400M, a GM403 radar, Hammer and Meteor weapons; Prabowo quotes.
- ANTARA: Indonesia expects arrival of second A400M aircraft (25 March 2026)First A400M arrived 3 November 2025; two bought (2021 Dubai Airshow), letter of intent for four more.
- ANTARA: Air force A400M delivers 24 tons of aid to flood-hit Aceh (4 December 2025)Headline: first relief mission of the A400M.
- ANTARA: Rafale fighter jets, A400M make debut flypast over Merdeka Palace (17 August 2026)Four Rafales, two A400Ms, eight KT-1B of the Jupiters, T-50i and helicopters on Independence Day 2026.
- ANTARA: Indonesia, France discuss 2026 arrival of Rafale fighter jets (11 December 2025)Headline and summary: Tedi Rizalihadi met the French armament director.
- ANTARA: Indonesia keen to partake in Turkish Kaan fighter jet development (11 April 2025)Headline and summary: Prabowo told Erdogan of Indonesia’s interest.
- ANTARA opinion: Indonesia’s risky obsessions on fifth-generation fighters (27 January 2026)By Alfin Febrian Basundoro and Muhammad Teguh Ariffaiz Nasution; says Indonesia procured 48 Kaan in July 2025.
- ANTARA: KF-21 jet prototype ready for delivery to Indonesia: envoy (10 June 2026)Ambassador Cecep Herawan: contribution settled (600 billion won package); one of six prototypes to be handed over.
- ANTARA: Indonesia-South Korea push ahead with KF-21 fighter jet project (1 November 2025)Headline and summary.
- ANTARA: Defense Minister signals Indonesia to receive more fighter jets (19 August 2026)Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin: six of 42 Rafales received; KF-21 expected; engine maintenance to be done in Indonesia.
- ANTARA: Indonesia set to receive Chengdu J-10 fighter jets from China (15 October 2025)Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin: "They will be flying over Jakarta soon"; no number or date given by the ministry.
- ANTARA: Indonesia says China jet deal won’t affect ties with other countries (16 October 2025)Headline and summary.
- ANTARA: Indonesia to receive new T-50i jets from S Korea in November (1 October 2025)Six T-50i ordered, first two due November 2025; 15th Air Squadron at Iswahjudi; spokesman I Nyoman Suadnyana.
- ANTARA: RI’s Air Force plans radar expansion to strengthen airspace monitoring (9 April 2026)Chief of Staff Tonny Harjono: 20 radars now, 30 by 2029.
- ANTARA: Air Force chief praises President Prabowo’s commitment to air defense (9 April 2025)79th anniversary; Anka drones to replace CH-4; Cyber Education Squadron 506.
- ANTARA: Four dead after two Indonesian Air Force planes crash in exercise (16 November 2023)Super Tucanos TT-3111 and TT-3103, Air Squadron 21, Abdulrachman Saleh, Malang.
- AJAR: Chega+10 (CAVR report portal)Portal for the Chega! report of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation; notes famine deaths of the late 1970s.
- ANTARA: Halim Air Base resumes flights after volcanic ash disruption (8 September 2026)Anak Krakatau ash closed Jakarta and Bandung flying for two days; base commander Erwin Sugiandi quoted.
- ANTARA: Indonesia buys 12 Italian Leonardo M-346F Block 20 jets (23 July 2026)12 M-346F Block 20, deliveries from 2030; 22 T-50i with the 15th Air Squadron at Iswahjudi; ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait.
- ANTARA: Indonesia Air Force holds defensive attack drills at Iswahjudi base (2 November 2025)Defensive Surface Attack Training 25 October–6 November 2025; F-16s of squadrons 3 and 14, T-50i of 15, Sukhois of 11; base commander Muchtadi Anjar Legowo; 12 sorties.
- ANTARA: Crashed air force plane bought in 2013 (21 December 2015)T-50 of Air Squadron 15, Iswahjudi, crashed at the Yogyakarta air show near Adisutjipto on 20 December 2015; both pilots killed; delivered 2013.
- ANTARA: TNI AU confirms no injuries on Sukhoi jet off runway in S Sulawesi (24 August 2026)Su-30MK2 overran the runway end by about 30 m at about 11:00 WITA during a post-overhaul take-off test; brakes; crew safe; spokesman I Nyoman Suadnyana.
- ANTARA: RI’s Air Force Chief of Staff recalls intercepting foreign aircraft (20 August 2026)Tonny Harjono, then commanding Squadron 11, led two Sukhois that forced an aircraft flying Dili–Kuala Lumpur with Pakistani peacekeepers to land at Sultan Hasanuddin, about 15 years earlier; quote.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. 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.
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