REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- TNI Commander, Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, said planned on purchase of Agusta Westland AW-101 helicopters made in Italy was postponed because the current economy was not in a good condition. The purchase has been entered in the strategic plan 2015-2019 of the Air Force.

"It wasn't canceled, but there are some alternative choices for helicopter, such as Agusta (AW) and Super Puma," said Gatot, in Halim Perdanakusuma, East Jakarta, Friday (4/12).

Read: Jokowi rejects new helicopter purchase

There was also consideration of President of Joko Widodo (Jokowi), Gatot added, because economic conditions of the country was not good. Moreover, condition of Indonesian helicopters were still good.

"Yesterday we explained it to the President. So that the President decided to postpone the purchase," he added.

Gatot said that the President also considered that it was impossible to buy very expensive helicopter in amid current global economic conditions. Meanwhile, TNI, he continued, followed the instructions of the President.

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