Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) retired its fleet of C-130B Retroff Hercules aircraft—registration numbers A-1303, A-1304, and A-1313—which had served since the 1960s during the era of Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno.

Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Muhamad Tonny Harjono, led the retirement ceremony at the Nurtanio Hall, Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung, on Wednesday (23/4.2025). 

“These Hercules aircraft were not just tools of war but also shaped the identity of our Air Force,” he said, praising the aircraft’s long-standing contribution.

Delivered in 1960, the aircraft played pivotal roles in major military operations such as Trikora, Dwikora, and Seroja, and even carried President Soekarno on a VVIP flight to Karachi in 1965. One unit, A-1303, was the first to land Indonesian commanders in Papua in 1963, according to antaranews.com.

They also supported humanitarian missions including tsunami relief in Aceh (2004), the Palu earthquake (2018), and the Semeru eruption (2021).

The Air Force is now phasing in newer aircraft including modern C-130 models and Airbus A400 transport planes. It is also preparing for the arrival of French-made Rafale fighter jets, aimed at modernizing Indonesia’s air defense capabilities.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)