TSAMTO, November 2. The Indonesian state-owned company PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) has announced the delivery of the second (out of nine ordered at the end of 2017) NC-212i military transport aircraft to the Indonesian Air Force.
As reported by KOMPAS.com, a military transport aircraft with the tail number AX-2127 in the configuration of a military transport was delivered by sea ferry from the hangar of the PTDI logistics center in Bandung (West Java) to the Abdulrahman Saleh Air Force Base in Malang (East Java). It will be part of the 4th Squadron of the 2nd Air Wing of the Indonesian Air Force, which is located at the base. The first aircraft was transferred to the 4th Squadron in January 2021.
The delivery was carried out under a contract signed by the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and PT Dirgantara Indonesia in Jakarta on December 29, 2017. The agreement provides for the delivery of nine NC-212i aircraft in various versions, including four in the configuration for transporting troops, four in the configuration for aerial photography and artificial rain, one in the configuration for navigation training. As expected, the remaining seven NC-212i aircraft will be transferred to the Indonesian Air Force in stages according to the schedule.
According to the manufacturer, the length of the NC212i, equipped with two Garrett AiResearch TPE331-10R-513C turboprop engines with a capacity of up to 671 kW each, is 16.5 m, height – 6.6 m, wingspan – 20.28 m. It can be piloted by two crew members and carry 25 paratroopers or 2.8 tons of cargo. The maximum flight range is 2680 km, the maximum cruising speed is 370 km/ h, the flight altitude is up to 7925 m.
The 4th Aviation Squadron is a unit equipped with light aircraft, with headquarters at the Abdulrahman Saleh Air Base in Malang (East Java). The tasks of the squadron are the preparation and operation of light transport aircraft for air support operations, conducting limited search and rescue operations, supporting the Navigator School, conducting initial training of pilots of military transport aircraft.
As reported in the PTDI press release, the company has been the only manufacturer of NC-212i aircraft in the world since 2014 after obtaining a license. To date, the company has produced 118 NC-212i aircraft out of 602 NC-212 family machines assembled in the world.
