Above the flames: Indonesia's aerial fight against wildfires

..consistency and solidarity among all stakeholders would be crucial to the success of wildfire mitigation efforts.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - As Indonesia continues to battle wildfires sweeping across several major islands, the military has stepped in to provide equipment and resources to help bring the situation under control.

At the time of writing, authorities were still working to contain the fires, prioritizing hotspots in six provinces: West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Jambi, South Sumatra, and Riau.

Driven by their duty to protect the nation, soldiers have been working alongside personnel from various institutions, including the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the Forestry Ministry, the National Police (Polri), and regional administrations.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has been providing treatment to residents affected by the thick haze blanketing parts of the country.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, President Prabowo Subianto summoned ministers and senior officials to the palace to ensure that the government had a clear strategy and the necessary resources to tackle the fires.

On October 19, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said the president had tasked him with coordinating the deployment of military aircraft to strengthen aerial wildfire and haze response efforts.

Air support

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) responded swiftly, mobilizing 11 transport aircraft and five helicopters for various missions, ranging from delivering critical supplies to conducting weather modification and water-bombing operations.

Air Commodore Feri Yunaldi, head of the TNI AU Information Service, said the 11 aircraft had been assigned to support firefighting efforts in Central Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, and West Kalimantan.

“Five CASA-212s, two C-130 Hercules aircraft, and one CN-295 have been deployed to disperse seeding agents for weather modification operations, while two C-130J-30 Super Hercules aircraft are being used to transport the agents,” he said on October 29.

The agents primarily consisted of sodium chloride (NaCl) and dry ice, which were transported from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta to air bases in South Kalimantan and South Sumatra.

In addition, the TNI AU deployed an A400M transport aircraft to deliver cold-storage containers to operational areas, helping ensure that critical supplies could be stored under appropriate conditions.

Deliveries to the two air bases had become a daily routine, with up to 10 tons of supplies and equipment transported each day to support firefighting and weather modification operations.

Yunaldi said the TNI AU had also deployed H225M Caracal helicopters from Air Squadron 8 to Nusantara in East Kalimantan and the slopes of Mount Ciremai in West Java to conduct aerial patrols and water-bombing missions over fire-affected areas.

Equipped with water buckets capable of carrying up to 2,000 liters, the helicopters have helped accelerate firefighting efforts in locations difficult for ground crews to reach.

Meanwhile, Air Squadron 6 has prepared NAS-332 Super Puma helicopters for similar operations around Mount Lawu in Central Java. Each helicopter can release up to 4,000 liters of water per sortie.

“NAS-332 Super Puma helicopters are also supporting firefighting efforts at the Galuga landfill in Bogor District, West Java, by dropping approximately 54,000 liters of water through 18 releases over two sorties,” he added.

He noted that the helicopters remained actively engaged in firefighting missions and would continue supporting efforts to contain fires across affected regions for as long as necessary.

Weathering obstacles

Aerial firefighting presents a unique set of challenges. The effectiveness of each sortie often depends on weather conditions, visibility, and access to water sources, while personnel safety remains the foremost priority.

“It is not feasible to carry out aerial firefighting at night, meaning operations must be conducted within suitable time windows and under appropriate conditions to ensure flight safety,” Yunaldi said.

Weather is another critical factor. He stressed the importance of closely monitoring atmospheric conditions before takeoff to ensure that haze, rain, or other factors do not compromise visibility during operations.

“In addition, the feasibility of weather modification depends on whether clouds meet the criteria for seeding. In other words, operations must be based on weather analysis and cloud formation forecasts,” he said.

Meanwhile, water-bombing operations depend heavily on access to adequate water sources, a requirement that often becomes more challenging during the dry season.

Despite these obstacles, Yunaldi assured the public that the TNI AU remained committed to supporting national efforts to combat forest and land fires.

Progress underway

Thanks in part to intensive weather modification operations, several areas have begun receiving rainfall despite the prolonged dry season.

In South Sumatra, for example, a task force based at Sri Mulyono Herlambang Air Base successfully induced rainfall over Palembang and six surrounding districts following an operation on October 26.

For the mission, the TNI AU deployed one C-130 Hercules aircraft and two CASA C-212 aircraft, supported by two aircraft operated by BNPB.

During the same week, rainfall also broke through the thick haze in parts of Central Kalimantan.

Despite these developments, weather modification, water-bombing, and other fire-containment measures continued as hotspots remained scattered across several regions.

TNI AU reports indicated that, as of October 27, a total of 164 hotspots remained, with fires affecting 708.95 hectares of land across Central Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and South Kalimantan.

“Of that total, 88 hotspots covering 224.93 hectares have been extinguished, while efforts continue to tackle 76 hotspots covering 484.02 hectares,” Yunaldi said.

He attributed the progress to ongoing aerial and ground firefighting operations conducted by the TNI AU in cooperation with various agencies.

Pursuing consistency

Political observer Bawono Kumoro welcomed the TNI AU’s involvement in wildfire response efforts, viewing it as evidence of the government's determination to address one of Indonesia’s most persistent environmental challenges.

He described President Prabowo’s directive to mobilize military aircraft as a reflection of the government's serious commitment to tackling recurring wildfires.

“The capacity of aerial operations has been one of the president’s points of focus,” he said.

Kumoro was referring to the decision to use Hercules aircraft for weather modification operations rather than relying solely on the smaller CASA aircraft previously used for such missions.

He also highlighted the importance of strong coordination among the military, police, central government, and regional administrations, alongside aerial operations.

He warned that consistency and solidarity among all stakeholders would be crucial to the success of wildfire mitigation efforts.

Sustained coordination is essential to ensuring that personnel deployment, equipment distribution, weather modification operations, and ground firefighting efforts work in tandem and reinforce one another.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of wildfire response depends not only on the size of the fleet deployed but also on sustained cooperation among government institutions to contain fires and protect affected communities.

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