The Launching of The Yakhont Antiballistic Missile in Indonesia

BENGKULU, KOMPAS.com - Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro canceled witnessing from a helicopter the trial of six strategic weapons in the Indian Ocean west of the Sunda Strait on Wednesday from Halim Perdanakusuma airport due to bad weather.

Purnomo Yusgiantoro would actually also be in the company of Coordinating minister of political, legal and security affairs Djoko Suyanto, Military (TNI) Chief Admiral Agus Suhartono, the three military chiefs of staff, and lawmakers of commission I.

It was planned to use two helicopters for the inspection which will land on the helipad of warship KRI Surabaya-591 which had been prepared since Wednesday morning, but at 10.40 during the launching of the Yakhont antiballistic missile bought from Russia at a price of 12 million US dollars per unit, the honorable guests failed to appear.

Chief Military spokesman Rear Admiral Iskandar Sitompul said the high officials were unable to witness the trial of the strategic weapons in the Indian Ocean west of the Sunda strait, because of very bad weather, and returned to Jakarta. However, the trial went on with success.

Chief of the Navy’s strategic arms task force Rear Admiral Sulaeman Banjarnahor also said that the two copters with their passengers had to fly back to Jakarta due to bad weather. The trial was conducted on Yakhont, Exocet MM-40, Torpedo SUT, Mistral, Sea Cat and RBO 6000.