UAE and Indonesia to strengthen partnership in aerospace sector

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

An aviation industry delegation from Bandung City in West Java, Indonesia was in the UAE recently and followed through with three Abu Dhabi-headquartered companies partnerships.

The business meeting between PT Dirgantara Indonesia (Persero) with Global Aerospace Logistics LLC (GAL/AMMROC), Strata and Calidus Aerospace took place at the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia on December 13 (Tuesday), according to visiting delegation head and PT Dirgantara Indonesia-PTDI (Persero) president/director Gita Ameriawan.

PTDI (Persero) was established in 1976 and operates under the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises. It is into the design, development and manufacture of civilian and military aircraft and has so far delivered 450 units such as the NC212i light, fixed-wing monoplane and CN235 medium-range twin-engine aircraft to customers worldwide.

GAL/AMMROC is a private entity is the source of professional aerospace services founded in 2007.

Owned by the Mubadala Investment Company, Strata, organised in 2009, has formed alliances with top-notch international aircraft manufacturers. Its mission is to advance and promote a leading aerospace hub in the capital.

Calidus Aerospace (Calidus) is also a private company founded in 2015. It designs and manufactures safe, innovative, reliable and competitive aeronautical and land systems products and services.

In a late interview, Amperiawan said: “We met with our counterparts in the UAE to enhance existing short-term and long-term cooperation and partnership between Indonesia and the UAE in the field of aerospace and technology as committed by President Joko Widodo and United Arab Emirates President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.”

At the meeting, it was agreed that PTDI (Persero) and GAL/AMMROC jointly work on a contract for the modernisation of the C130 four-engine turboprop military aircraft and for the extension of the lifetime service or usage as well as the upgrade and potential sale of the existing CN235 which Indonesia has been manufacturing in partnership with Casa of Spain.

“We agreed to review a joint project related to the maintenance, repair and overhaul of the C130 military aircraft,” Amperiawan said.

On the PTDI (Persero) partnership with Calidus, the meeting was in connection with the Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 30, 2022 that requires both companies to continue the “joint marketing” of the CN235 and the N219, a 16-metre long utility aircraft with a top speed of 389 kilometres per hour which the former manufactures; alongside the B250 tandem-seat turboprop light attack aircraft with counter-insurgency capability, the B350 motherboards and other technology products including the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, of the latter.

Part of the enhancement of the MoU between PTDI Persero and Calidus is the “future capacity-building collaboration” that the former would deliver to support the Calidus projects, particularly the “potential needs of a firefighting aircraft from Calidus customers.”

Indonesian Ambassador to the UAE Husin Bagis said: “We hope that these will gradually grow the revenues, profitability and business of the companies.

Bagis led the site visits to GAL/AMMROC, Strata and Calidus manufacturing and production plants in Al Ain.

They were hosted by GAL/AMMROC chief executive officer (CEO) Mahmood Ali Hameli, Strata CEO Ismail Abdullah, and Calidus Aerospace CEO Fariz Mazroui and Aerospace Operations vice-president Jamal Alameri.

Meanwhile, over at the B20 platform for dialogue among policymakers, the civil society and businesses at the international level of the world’s Top 20 economies known as the G20 of which Indonesia was its immediate past president and the November 2022 summit was held in Bali, businessmen from the UAE and Indonesia maximised the event.

Sixteen business agreements were signed including that of the PTDI (Persera) and the GLL/AMMROC during the “Indonesia-United Arab Emirates Investment Forum” initiated by the UAE Ministry of Economy in collaboration with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on November 12 (Saturday).

In that event, Bagis said: “So, currently, the relationship between Indonesia and the UAE is closer than ever. Today, 16 business agreements were signed by major companies such as the (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company), Abu Dhabi Holding, Etihad, Borouge, Emirates Global Aluminium, G42, Barq EV, Burjeel and Alserkal. Apart from that, there are also several agreements in the defence sector such as GAL/AMMROC, Lahab and Sanad,” The cooperation carried out by businessmen of both countries covers various sectors including petrochemicals, aviation, polymer, aluminium production; manufacture of electric motorcycles and bicycles; health; waste management; financing and education.