US V-22 Ospreys for Indonesian Makassar-class LPDs?

Shawn C advised offline on July 7/8, 2020 of a possible sale of US Osprey tiltrotors to Indonesia.

Further details from Stars and Stripes, July 7, 2020 https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/us-approves-osprey-sale-to-indonesia-as-japan-preps-to-deploy-the-aircraft-1.636591 :

The US State Department has approved the sale of eight MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to Indonesia, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced July 6, 2020.

The announcement comes as Japan (the first non-US buyer for Ospreys) prepares to deploy its first of 17 Ospreys to Camp Kisarazu, a Japan Army airfield in Chiba Prefecture.

A US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey in 2014 (Photograph courtesy FOX 52 via Wikipedia)

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The total cost to Indonesia for the Ospreys, along with related equipment, is estimated at US$2 billion, DSCA said in a statement.

The sale includes 24 Rolls Royce engines, infrared radars, missile warning systems, multi-band radios, airborne GPS, machine guns and various other equipment along with software, training for personnel and U.S. government and contractor engineering, logistics and technical support, the statement said.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation with territory spread across more than 17,000 islands, employs a large fleet of conventional military aircraft for disaster relief and in a decades’ long fight against Islamic extremists [PETE COMMENT: not to mention Indonesia straffing defenseless Christians in East Timor (1975-1999) and West Papuan villagers with OV-10F Broncos from the US!]. Like several other Southeast Asia nations, Indonesia claims South China Sea territory that is also claimed by China."

“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of an important regional partner that is a force for political stability, and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region,” the agency’s statement said. “It is vital to U.S. national interest to assist Indonesia in developing and maintaining a strong and effective self-defense capability.”

The proposed sale will enhance Indonesia’s humanitarian and disaster relief capabilities and support amphibious operations, the statement added.” [see good Youtube video on the possible sale, 25 seconds in at https://youtu.be/31jfJqLZKk4 ]

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Shawn C says that he is not sure how the Osprey deal will actually go through when in May 2020 Indonesia reported it had cut its defence budget by $500 million due to COVID-19.

Interesting to note Indonesia pays cash to the US while Indonesia does a part-commodities trade with the Russians.

 Indonesian Navy’s KRI Makassar (Pennant No. 590) commissioned in April 2007.

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The Indonesians have the capacity to use Ospreys on Indonesia’s Makassar-class Landing Platform Docks (LPDs). These LPDs will probably need heat modifications on their helicopter decks due to the hot air engine blast of the Ospreys. Makassars are a bit austere - in fact they will need significant reinforcement to land a heavy V-22 on their helicopter deck.

The Ospreys will be useful for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in cyclone/typhoon and Tsunami prone Indonesia. But for the cost of one Osprey Indonesia could buy two Indonesian built short takeoff and landing turboprop transports (eg. the Indonesian Aerospace N-219 and larger).

Shawn C is interested in Indonesia’s Makassar-class LPD - they have been good business for the Indonesian national shipbuilder PT PAL having sold Makassars to the Indonesian, Philippine and Malaysian navies. Meanwhile South Korea’s Daesun has sold Makassars to the Myanmar and Peruvian navies (Peru on selling one to the Brazilian Navy). Also see The Diplomat paysite article. 

Here's a good video at navyrecognition Shawn C found of the Peruvian Navy launching their Makassar class - you can peer right into the ship, and it made Shawn C realise how austere it is – troop berthing must be quite packed, like a WW2 Landing Ship Tank.   

A Makassar cost close to US$50 million (cost for Indonesian Navy? More for export?) - so for US$2 billion the Indonesians could fund 20 Makassar ships and up to 30 EC725 helicopters, which would allow them to spread out their naval and marine forces more nodally across the Indonesian Archipelago. 

Or the Indonesians could reinject the funds (and better oversight) to Indonesia’s troubled local transport aircraft programs - which just lost 'national strategic priority' due to delays: see https://www.cnnindonesia.com/teknologi/20200625155909-199-517506/putra-bj-habibie-bicara-beda-masa-depan-drone-dan-pesawat-ri (Indonesian language article. Right-click mouse to translate into English).

More from Shawn C, on other subjects, tomorrow.