Operation Alpha (Indonesia)

Operation Alpha or Operasi Alpha was a covert operation carried out by the Indonesian Air Force (then AURI or Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia) in 1980 to acquire 31-34 units of Douglas A-4 Skyhawk fighter aircraft from the Israeli military.

Not to be confused with Operation Alpha or Operation Alpha 29.
Indonesian Air Force A-4 Skyhawk. extended jetpipes were visible, a modification found in Israeli A-4 as a protection against heat seeking missiles.

The operation included training Indonesian pilots in Israel and disguising the fighter planes for delivery from Israel to Indonesia. This was told by the former Commander of the National Air Defense Command (Pangkohanudnas) Air vice-marshal Djoko Poerwoko through his biography entitled Dancing in the Sky.[1] According to Poerwoko, the operation was "the biggest clandestine operation carried out by the Indonesian National Armed Forces (then Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia or ABRI)".[2][3]

Background

This operation was motivated by a shortage of combat aircraft in the Indonesian Air Force. Aircraft such as the F-86 and T-33 are old and not fully operational. The United States could provide 16 F-5 E/F Tiger II aircraft, but this was deemed insufficient. In addition, Indonesia must face further military operations in East Timor.[4]

Intelligence Officials received information that Israel will sell 32 A-4 Skyhawk. The problem is, apart from no diplomatic relations, the purchase of fighter planes to Israel will also reap strong protests from the public. However, ABRI decided to continue the operation.

Execution

Before sending the pilots, the government sent a number of Air Force technicians who were divided into seven batches for 20 months in Israel in 1979, after the last batches of the technicians completed their training, 10 Indonesian Air Force pilots departed for Israel in September 1980. The ten pilots sent in the Operation Alpha were Lt. Col. Suyamto, Major Irawan Saleh, Major Donan Sunanto, Captain PA. Lumintang, Captain F. Djoko Poerwoko, Captain Suminar Hadi, Captain Dwie Harmono, Captain Teddy Sumarno, Captain R. Supriyanto, and First Lieutenant Eddy Haryoko. Even the 10 pilots did not know where they would be dispatched. The ten pilots departed on a Garuda Indonesia flight from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base to Paya Lebar Air base in Singapore. After landing in Singapore, they were picked up by several ABRI intelligence officers. During dinner, one of ABRI's Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) officers asked for their passports and replaced them with a "Travel Document in Lieu of a Passport" (SPLP).

It was then that the Chief of BAIS ABRI, Major General Benny Moerdani, gave the order. Major General Benny Moerdani stated that the operation was a secret mission. If the mission fails, the Indonesian government will not recognize their citizenship. Benny also gave options, if anyone has doubts, please come back. This operation is considered successful if the A-4 Skyhawk fighter, codenamed 'merpati', has entered Indonesia. They began to realize that they would be flown to Israel.[5][6]

That same night the ten pilots changed their identities. Not in the name of Indonesia and not as Indonesian citizen or soldiers. Then they were flown to Frankfurt Airport, Germany. Until there they also do not know the next journey. Until finally receiving a boarding pass for the next flight, to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.[5]

Israel

Upon arrival in Israel, they were arrested and escorted by Ben Gurion airport security officers. The officers turned out to be undercover Mossad agents and took them to the basement where there were BAIS ABRI officers in that room.

They immediately received brief briefings on various things that must be considered while in Israel. Everything related to Indonesia was swept. These pilots were also taught to memorize a few Hebrew sentences such as "Ani tayas mis Singapore" which means "I am a pilot from Singapore" in the sense that they were ordered to admit to being pilots from Singapore. There is also the greeting "boken tof" which means good morning. Next, they traveled south along the Dead Sea overland for two days to the city of Eilat.

By agreement, during the exercise the Air Base was named Arizona by the pilots. Because officially the pilots will be sent to Arizona. There they trained on the A-4 Skyhawk. Carrying out various maneuvers, operating warplanes as war machines, to penetrate the Syrian border.

After about 4 months, the flight training ended on May 20, 1980. The officers graduated and were entitled to receive combat pilot certificates. However, the ABRI intelligence officers who were present burned it in front of the pilots. It is to eliminate evidence that there was ever military cooperation between Indonesia and Israel.[7]

United States

The pilots were then brought to the United States just to take pictures. They were flown to New York to visit famous places such as the Niagara Falls. They were brought there to divert their attention from Israel. Whenever there was a sign indicating that they were in the US, they were instructed to take pictures.

After New York, they were taken to Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona. They spent 3 days in Yuma and received education about USMC's A-4, and took photos. This was to pretend that they were sent to the US, not Israel. In Arizona, they received the USMC's version of certificates and took a graduation photo. The commanders in the unit required these pilots to acknowledge that they were trained in the US, not Israel. After their time in the US, they returned to Singapore and Indonesia.

A-4 Skyhawk in Indonesian Service

see also: List of Douglas A-4 Skyhawk operators

On May 4, 1980, exactly 1 day before a USAF C-5 Galaxy landed in Iswahjudi Air Force Base with F-5E/F Tiger II, the first batch of A-4 Skyhawk packages, consisting of two single-seat aircraft and two double-seater aircraft arrived at Tanjung Priok port. The planes were transported by ship directly from Israel, wrapped in plastic, labeled 'F-5'. At that time, Indonesia also ordered F-5 Tiger aircraft from the US. So, it's as if the plane being transported by the ship is an F-5 plane.[8][9]

In waves, the A-4 Skyhawk continued to arrive. In September 1980, the number of A-4s received by Indonesia totaled 16 units.[8][9] Different sources claim different numbers, but in total, Indonesia acquired 31-34 A-4 Skyhawks from Israel between 1980 and 1982, of the 31-34 A-4, most of them were A-4E, some of them were TA-4H[10] and TA-4J.

During its service in Indonesia, various military operations have been carried out by the A-4 Skyhawk. These operations included Operation Sriti Samber (Air to Air refueling operation) and Operation Lotus (1980–1999) in East Timor, Operation Oscar (1991–1992) in Sulawesi, and Operation Rencong Terbang (1991–1995) in Aceh.

On August 4 2004, 3 A-4 (2 A-4E registration TT-0440 and TT-0431, lead by 1 TA-4 registration TL-0416) from the 11th Air Squadron took off for the last time from Adisutjipto Air Force Base in Yogyakarta, during the flight one of the A-4E piloted by Captain Bambang Pramuhadi experienced engine trouble so he had to land at Iswahjudi Air Force Base, and then continued his flight using an AS-202 Bravo trainer aircraft. Meanwhile, the other 2 A-4 continued to fly to Adisutjipto Air Force Base. After arriving at Adisutjipto air force base, Major Jemi Trisonjaya the flight leader immediately handed over the two A-4 to base commander Benyamin Dandel, and signed the handover of the aircraft. All A-4s were retired in 2004.[11][12]

See also

References
  1. Kisah operasi alpha, misi pembelian pesawat TNI AU ke Israel - merdeka.com
  2. Menyusup Ke Israel - Republika.co.id
  3. Menari di angkasa. F. Djoko Poerwoko. 2007.
  4. Operasi Alpha, Kerjasama Rahasia Militer RI-Israel (I) - Detik.com
  5. "Operasi+Alpha"+Indonesia+-wikipedia&pg=PA39&printsec=frontcover Dari Medan Tempur ke Meja Perundingan. Tempo.
  6. Intelejen dan Pilkada. Stepi Anriani. 2018. p. 92.
  7. L.B. Moerdani: Tak Semua Jenderal Punya Nyali. Pena Kreativa. 2021.
  8. "10 Penerbang TNI AU yang dikirim dalam Proyek Alpha". Airspace Review. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  9. Operasi Alpha, Kerjasama Rahasia Militer RI-Israel (II) - detik.com
  10. "Israeli A-4 Skyhawks". Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  11. "Komposisi Penerbang A-4 Skyhawk TNI AU di Tahun 1999". Airspace Review. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  12. "Hari Ini Dalam Sejarah, Penerbangan Terakhir A-4 Skyhawk Di Indonesia". INDO MILITER.
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