Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Defense clarified on Tuesday (26/5/2026) that the planned maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) center for C-130 Hercules aircraft at Kertajati Airport, Majalengka, West Java, is still in the planning stage.

Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, the Head of Defense Information Bureau, explained that the government is refining concepts for developing a national aerospace ecosystem, including commercial and military MRO facilities. 

“We are still at the planning and concept-maturation stage,” he said, as cited by antaranews.com.

The Ministry is considering technical agreements, construction details, and management models to ensure the MRO aligns with national interests. The project is expected to involve domestic defense industries to boost economic growth and strengthen local capabilities.

The initiative follows discussions between Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who expressed interest in establishing a Hercules maintenance hub in Asia. President Prabowo Subianto later offered Kertajati Airport as the proposed site.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)