Indonesia considers Kertajati as regional maintenance hub for Hercules aircraft
Thursday, May 21 2026 - 09:48 PM WIB
Prabowo Subianto has approved a proposal from the United States to make Indonesia a regional maintenance center for C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, according to Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin as quoted by Kumparan.
Sjafrie told a parliamentary hearing with Commission I on Tuesday that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proposed establishing a maintenance hub for Hercules aircraft serving the wider Asian region in Indonesia.
According to Sjafrie, Prabowo responded by proposing Kertajati International Airport in West Java as the location for the facility.
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“He offered how about all C-130 maintenance in Asia being centered in Indonesia at our expense,” Sjafrie said, referring to the U.S. proposal.
Sjafrie said discussions are ongoing regarding the development plan.
Kertajati Airport currently operates limited international and domestic flights and also serves as an embarkation and debarkation point for Hajj pilgrims from West Java.
If implemented, the airport would gradually be developed into a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) center for Hercules aircraft operating across Asia.
Editing by Alexander Ginting