majalah militer

April 19, 2009, Naqoura, Lebanon -- The armored vehicles of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) operating in South Lebanon under the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) need spare-parts, a TNI officer said.

Chief of the Force Head Quarter Support Unit of UNIFIL (FHQSU UNIFIL), Colonel Saud Tamba Tua said here on Saturday that in order to support its task in Lebanon, TNI`s Garuda Contingent (Konga) XXVI-A was reinforced with seven VAB armored vehicles which now needed spare-parts.

Colonel Tamba Tua made the statement after an expose in front of Indonesia`s Eastern Fleet commander.

He said a number of the seven vehicles needed new spare-parts. The spare-parts were needed to maximize its operation tasks in South Lebanon.

Tamba Tua said however that it did not affect the implementation of the force`s task.
"We continue to carry out our mission and main tasks with the existing combat equipment, no matter what condition it had. To maximize our efforts in carrying out the mission and tasks we need spare-parts," he said.

Unlike other contingents in Lebanon, the seven VAB armored vehicles used by Konga XXVI-A are old ones which had been used by the TNI for a long time.

"The bodies and engines of the vehicles were still original, made by Renault, France. They are not of the new ones which were produced by PT Pindad in cooperation with Renult," he said.

He said that several VAB vehicles needed new spare-parts so that they could operate maximally.

In 2006, the Indonesian government purchased 32 VAB armored vehicles from Renault Truck, France, to support Konga XXVI-A in carrying out its task in South Lebanon.

The armored vehicles used chassis specifications made between 1997 and 2000, but with most sophisticated technology components. They were produced in three types, namely command, transport and ambulance vehicles equipped with integrated logistic support (ILS) system.
(ANTARA)