Indonesian Air Force withdraws SA330 from use

On 29 December 2023, the Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU, Indonesian Air Force) withdrew the last SA330 Puma twin-engined medium transport and utility helicopters from service at Bogor/Atang Senjaya.

The type has been the mainstay for the air force since 1978 and were also assembled locally by IPTN, now known as PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI). In fact, PTDI recently delivered eight H225M Caracal to SkU8 enabling the retirement of the no longer cost-effective Pumas. On 1 December 2023, Scramble Magazine reported on the official handover of the first Caracals.

According to the Scramble database around five Pumas survived, two of which were still actively used by Skadron Udara 8 (SkU8, 8th Air Squadron), NSA330L HT-3314 (1672/NP7) and HT-3315 (1673/NP8). Other known recent survivors are HT-3309 (1606), HT-3310 (1609), and HT-3318 (1676/NP11). One of the active fleet will be preserved in the Musium Dirgantara Mandala at Yogyakarta/Adisucipto.

Credit photo: SkU8 (HT-3314 during disaster relief operations in West Java, after the November 2022 earthquake)