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Indonesia to Review US F-16 Fighter Grant After Jet Catches Fire on Runaway

© REUTERS / Antara Foto/Widodo S. JusufAir Force personnel stand near an Indonesian F-16 plane after it burned following an aborted take-off at Halim Air Base, East Jakarta April 16, 2015
Air Force personnel stand near an Indonesian F-16 plane after it burned following an aborted take-off at Halim Air Base, East Jakarta April 16, 2015 - Sputnik International
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On Thursday, an Indonesian Air Force F-16 caught fire preparing to take off. The pilot escaped.

Air Force personnel spray water on an Indonesian F-16 to cool it down before moving it after it burned following an aborted take-off at Halim Air Base, East Jakarta April 16, 2015 - Sputnik International
Asia
Indonesian F-16 Jet Catches Fire During Take-Off
BALI (Sputnik) — Indonesia plans to review the used F-16 fighter jets provided by the United States under a "grant scheme," following Thursday's takeoff fire incident, Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff said Friday.

“We will evaluate all [F-16 jets]. This is the first time such an incident has occurred,” Marshall Agus Supriatna was quoting as saying by local newspaper Jakarta Globe.

The incident occurred at 8.15 a.m. local time [01:15 GMT] on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet was about to take off from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in East Jakarta. The fighter is one of 24 used F-16 jets given by the United States under a "grant scheme" to the Indonesian Air Force.

Indonesian military chief Gen. Moeldoko said:

“We will conduct an investigation. The [F-16 that caught fire] was the latest to be delivered from America.”

Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament Fadli Zon, in his turn, outlined that the grant scheme is a "part of an erroneous policy of the past," adding that Indonesia should completely stop the use of second-hand aircraft.

According to the US grant scheme, Indonesia gets the planes for free but must pay for maintenance as well as for engines and electronics repairs.

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