PT DI Plans to Sell More NC-212i Aircrafts, Thailand Will Be First Customer

TheIndonesia.id - State-run aircraft manufacturer, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (DI), plans to expand its sales to Thailand with the procurement of the NC-212i light transport aircraft for the Southeast Asian market.

President Director of PT DI, Gita Amperiawan, on Tuesday, highlighted the potential to sell eight NC-212i aircraft to Thailand.

"We plan to sell eight NC-212i aircraft to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand," he stated after the handover ceremony of five NC-212i aircraft from the Indonesian Defense Ministry to the Indonesian Air Force at the Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, as quoted by Antara.

Amperiawan remarked that the Philippines and Vietnam also bought the same aircraft from PT DI, with nine units and three units respectively.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Defense Ministry ordered nine NC-212i aircraft from PT DI, five of which have been completed and received by the Indonesian Air Force, three units are scheduled for completion in 2024, and the other one is projected to be complete in March 2025.

The five NC-212i units will strengthen Air Squadron 4, Air Wing 2 of the Abdulrachman Saleh Air Base, Malang, East Java.

Minister Subianto noted that the domestic components level (TKDN) for the NC-212i was 40 percent, with most of its equipment being made and assembled in Indonesia.

Amperiawan then noted that some parts, such as engines, propellers, and aircraft avionics systems, cannot be made domestically.

"We do not have engines or propellers. That is quite big," he stated.

However, PT DI aims to explore collaboration to increase the company's ability to manufacture its own aircraft avionics systems.

"We are just starting to increase TKDN in avionics," he remarked.

At the handover ceremony, Minister Subianto lauded PT DI's achievements in being able to make aircraft domestically. He also directly reviewed the aircraft's condition.

"This aircraft is equipped with autopilot device, a glass cockpit, composite propeller, and avionics system. This plane can land on grass fields and sand fields with only a 600 meters strip. This plane is capable of working in difficult places with many functions," he explained.

According to Subianto, the multipurpose light transport aircraft could not only be used for training and troop transport but also for air medical evacuation, aerial photography, weather modification, and air navigation training. The aircraft is also equipped with a ramp door to accommodate cargo loading and unloading.

"Thank you to PT DI for always improving your abilities. The company has great determination to master technology for the sake of this nation's independence. Please continue to improve our nation's ability to master advanced technology," he remarked.