October 23, 2025 | 09:29 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin admitted to not being aware of the plan to purchase the Black Hawk main defense system helicopters from the United States. However, he stated that his ministry would comply with existing regulations regarding the procurement of Sikorsky S-70M helicopters.
The Defense Ministry will also adhere to the president's decision and the evaluation results conducted by the Indonesian National Army (TNI) regarding the procurement of the Black Hawk helicopters. Meanwhile, TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto stated that they will follow the government's applied policies. "What matters is that we accept, we are only users," Agus said on Wednesday, October 22, 2025.
Indonesia previously signed an agreement on the procurement of the Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk helicopters. This was stipulated in the cooperation agreement between PT Dirgantara and Sikorsky in August 2023 in Washington, United States.
President Prabowo Subianto, who was the Defense Minister at the time, also witnessed the signing, accompanied by Rosan Roeslani, who was the Deputy Minister of State-Owned Enterprises at that time. Indonesia plans to have 24 units of the GFA type Black Hawk helicopters.
So, what are the specifications of the Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk helicopter?
According to Lockheed Martin's website, this air mode is built for military class and designed for combat conditions. The Black Hawk is considered to be the most versatile utility helicopter in the world. The S-70M is a commercial version of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter owned by the US ground military branch.
The Sikorsky S-70M Black Hawk helicopter can be used for various missions, ranging from border patrols, firefighting, search and rescue, to the transportation of state officials. With its flexibility, the Black Hawk helicopter can operate in various extreme weather conditions.
"Black Hawk is designed and built to meet the strictest military standards, capable of rapidly delivering personnel and supplies and can be relied on to reach scattered areas across the Indonesian archipelago," said Sikorsky President Paul Lemmo in August 2023, as quoted from the Ministry of Defense's official website.
For the S-70M Black Hawk type, it is built at the PZL Miele facility in Poland, a Lockheed Martin company. The weaponry systems that the Black Hawk helicopter possesses also vary, including 70mm rockets, machine guns, and weapon management systems.
This versatile helicopter has a payload capacity of 4,695 kilograms and an external carrying capacity of 4,082 kilograms. The Black Hawk is also equipped with a cabin of 11.2 cubic meters or 396 feet.
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