Following the article of July 9, 2020 which used many of Shawn C's comments:
Pete Comment: So the headline "will Indonesia buy Ospreys from the US or not?" puts the memory of the 2 air crashes in the shade, to an extent.
![]()
PETE COMMENT
1. I'd say at this stage the US Osprey offer to Indonesia may have been the US providing a face saving distraction to cover air crash embarrassments suffered by the Indonesian military leadership.
See "The [Osprey] approval came after [Indonesia] saw two of its military aircraft crashed in less than two weeks amid its efforts to revamp its aging weaponry." writes the Jakarta Globe, July 8, 2020 at https://jakartaglobe.id/news/us-approves-2b-osprey-aircraft-sale-to-indonesia
concerning
"Indonesia's Defense Modernization Gains Momentum After Two Air Crashes in Nine Days"Jakarta Globe, June 15, 2020, which reports https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias-defense-modernization-gains-momentum-after-two-air-crashes-in-nine-days/
"The British-made Hawk 209 jet was on a training mission from the Roesmin Nurjadin Airbase in Pekanbaru when it crashed at 8.13 a.m., the Air Force said."
"The accident occurred only nine days after a fatal Army helicopter crash in the Central Java town of Kendal killed five of nine personnel on board.
..."Seeing our military planes crash not during wartime is certainly not nice. Other countries are watching us very closely,"said Muradi, the chairman of Padjadjaran University's School of Security and Political Studies."
""These accidents should offer momentum [to the Indonesian Air Force] to replace their aging aircraft. The government must speed up efforts to acquire or manufacture new and more competitive aircraft," he said in Jakarta."
..."While aircraft procurement takes years to materialize, a thorough audit on the weaponry system can start without delay to prevent future accidents, according to Willy Aditya, a lawmaker with the House of Representative's defense commission.
"An audit on our defense system is a matter of urgency right now. All defense equipment and system in the TNI, including military aircraft, must be reviewed to see if they are still compatible with current conditions. The double accidents in recent days must caution us all," Willy said"...
see whole article https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias-defense-modernization-gains-momentum-after-two-air-crashes-in-nine-days/
Pete Comment: So the headline "will Indonesia buy Ospreys from the US or not?" puts the memory of the 2 air crashes in the shade, to an extent.
2. If Indonesia bought Ospreys then the Australian military would argue it justifies an Australian purchase. This would be for special forces (eg. SAS) landing or rappelling insertion operations over distances and at speeds that available helicopters cannot handle.
Also Australia's Canberra-class LPDs could use Ospreys for “marine” style army insertions inland.
As far back as 2016 US Marine Corps MV-22B Ospreys were making trial landings on Australian Canberra-class LPDs.
A US Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey doing a deck landing on HMAS Canberra LHD, in 2016.
---
See Australian Aviation, July 15, 2016 at https://australianaviation.com.au/2016/07/first-v-22-osprey-lands-on-australian-lhd/ :
“A United States Marine Corps (USMC) MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor has conducted six deck landings on board HMAS Canberra while the ship was taking part in Exercise...RIMPAC 2016 off the north-east coast of Hawaii.
The landings on July 12, conducted as part of a US Navy and USMC aviation integration program to clear its rotary-wing assets for operations from the Royal Australian Navy’s new amphibious assault ships, mark the first time a V-22 has landed on board an Australian LHD.
Sistership to HMAS Canberra and Adelaide, the Spanish Navy’s Juan Carlos I, has operated MV-22s on board over the past year, including an embarkation of the type.
The Canberra will likely see Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper, UH-1Y, UH-1Z and potentially CH-53 helicopters cross its deck during the course of the five-week-long exercise, but F-35B and AV-8B “jump jets” are not part of the integration program.”
US Marines rappelling and fast rope training from MV-22 Osprey in this Video (and see it above)
---
PETE COMMENT
Judging by Juan Carlos I LHD's capabilities if Australia were to buy Ospreys for Australia's two LHDs I’d say they may need 4 to operate off each vessel. Also 3 Ospreys would be needed for on-shore training as well as 3 for covert special forces missions (perhaps in the Middle East/
Afghanistan theatre and elsewhere in the medium term).
So Australia would need around 14 Ospreys, plus all the spares, training and on-going modifications/upgrades required.