forcesmilitary: Indonesian Air Force Through PT.DI Producing Various Types of Helicopter and Aircraft Types

The foundations of the Indonesian defence industry were actually established during the colonial period. In 1920 the German company Fritz Werner established the Pindad factory to manufacture small arms and ammunition in the then Netherlands East Indies (NEI). PT Pindad is still manufacturing small arms and ammunition for the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), as well as armoured vehicles and other systems.

Apart from that, after the independence struggle Indonesian was able to take control of a number of other
facilities that would prove useful in a defence industry context. For example, the naval dockyard at Surabaya
and aircraft repair facilities. The basis of an indigenous Indonesian defence industry had actually been laid during the anti-colonial struggle, when in 1946, six gliders were constructed from locally available materials to help train pilots for the TNI-AU.

Following independence Indonesia decided to establish an aviation industry, an effort led by Nurtanio Pringgoadisuryo, who also acted as the designer and test pilot. A number of light aircraft were designed and
built, many based on foreign designs, and then in 1964 licence production of the PZL-104 Wilga aircraft commenced, with 39 aircraft being built through 1975. Nurtanio was killed during a test flight in 1966, but his
legacy was the basis for an Indonesian aerospace industry.

Then came what we might call the ‘Habibie period’ for the Indonesian defence industry. B.J. Habibie was a
highly qualified aerospace engineer and on his return to Indonesia became a technology advisor to the Indonesian government. In 1976 he was responsible for the formation of the aerospace company PT Nurtanio that eventually became IPTN (today it is known as PT Dirgantara Indonesia). Eventually Habibie created what became known as the ‘strategic industries’ by bringing the management of IPTN, the PT PAL shipyard and Pindad amongst others under one roof.

Products that have been produced by PT.DI Indonesia in making aircraft :

1. Armored combat vehicles and weapons and ammunition