Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in the defense industry sector on the sidelines of the 16th International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2023 in Langkawi, Malaysia on May 23.In a statement received in Jakarta, Wednesday, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto directly witnessed the signing process of the MoUs between state-run aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) and Malaysian Aircraft Inspection, Repair and Overhaul Depot (AIROD) Sdn. Bhd. The agreements are aimed at advertising and selling N219 aircraft of PTDI and to promote cooperation between PTDI and its Malaysian counterpart SME Aerospace Sdn. Bhd. (SMEA), which is a subsidiary of National Aerospace and Defence Industries (NADI), for developing aerostructure. Minister Subianto extended appreciation and full support to the cooperation, which is expected to serve as a stimulus in advancing the defense industry in Indonesia and Malaysia. “Hopefully, these two partnership schemes can stimulate the advancement of Indonesia’s defense industry and provide positive impacts to the efforts to strengthen Indonesia’s aerospace ecosystem,” Subianto stated. PTDI President Director Gita Amperiawan, for his part, said that the cooperation with AIROD is expected to help his company in boosting its aerospace competency in the global aerospace industry value chain. “I am confident we all share the same pride of saying that the N219 aircraft, which is considered as parts of the Southeast Asian original aircraft, also belongs to all ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries; and this event marks as our crucial milestone to promote N219 to the global market,” he stated. The MoUs inked between PTDI and SMEA marked a new dawn towards a more prosperous and stronger future for both the aerostructure business enterprises, he affirmed. “I truly believe that our synergy will help bolster our role as part of the global supply chain from the Southeast Asia region for global original equipment manufacturers,” Amperiawan remarked. Related news: Importance of developing national defense industry
Source: Antara News Agency