Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, September 7, 2026 at 09:33 PM

Prabowo orders more aircraft, drones to fight forest fires

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Prisca Violleta, Uyu Liman

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has announced plans to procure heavy-lift unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and deploy more aircraft to prevent and mitigate persistent forest and land fires across the country.

Speaking during a virtual cabinet meeting on natural disaster management monitored here on Monday, Prabowo acknowledged the massive scale of the government's response to this year's wildfires, while conceding that there had been operational delays on several occasions.

"Going forward, we are taking anticipatory measures. I ask that we prioritize planning and apply the principle that it is better to have a surplus than a shortage," he said.

The president instructed State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi to coordinate with Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa and National Development Planning Minister Rachmat Pambudy to procure more disaster mitigation assets, including water-bombing helicopters.

He also called for more localized firefighting equipment, such as water pumps and excavators, emphasizing that smaller-scale equipment must be permanently stationed in fire-prone rural villages to tackle outbreaks at an early stage.

Highlighting a major capability upgrade, Prabowo noted that Indonesia will soon commission its first aircraft carrier, which will be utilized for post-disaster management.

The vessel is designed to accommodate up to 10 medium-sized helicopters, each capable of carrying four to five tons of water for aerial firefighting missions.

"Furthermore, we must allocate more aircraft for weather modification," the president added.

He tasked the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) with identifying the most efficient chemical agents to accelerate cloud seeding.

Additionally, he ordered the procurement of heavy-lift drones capable of carrying large payloads of water for precision water bombing on the front lines of forest fires.

"We must prepare well in advance," Prabowo concluded.

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