RAAF Hornets in Indonesia for Elang Ausindo

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is holding a joint air-combat training camp at El Tari Airport in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), from Aug. 21 to 27."The joint training is a routine activity between the two air forces. It was paused some time ago due to troubled relations between Indonesia and Australia, but this year it resumed again in El Tari Kupang," said El Tari Kupang airbase commander (Danlanud) Lieu. Col. Andi Wijaya on Wednesday.

According to Andi, the training, referred to as the 2015 Elang Ausindo Air Manuver Exercise, covers NTT's air territory directly adjacent with Australia.Five F-16 and eight F-18 Hornet fighter jets, owned by the TNI-AU and RAAF respectively, are involved in the training as well as 114 personnel from El Tari Kupang airbase and 125 from RAAF.Andi said the training focuses included one-on-one close-range combat."[The training] also covers Air Combat Maneuvering where two jets from the TNI-AU fight against one jet from RAAF and vice versa," said Andi, adding that the joint training between the two air forces is always held in different locations around Indonesia.