Indonesia receives ScanEagle 2 UAVs as part of US Government grant

One of the ScanEagle 2 UAV received by the Indonesian Navy from the US Government. Photo c/o JJM TV Indonesia.

The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) has received an unidentified number of Boeing Insitu ScanEagle 2 small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). During ceremonies held Surabaya on 21 June 2021, the TN-AL presented some of the ScanEagle 2 UAVs to senior leaders. The US Government offered to provide the ScanEagle UAVs to the Indonesian Government in 2014, although it was only in 2020 when the Indonesian Government agreed to receive the grant. 14 ScanEagle UAVs, together with associated systems were among those scheduled for transfer by the US Government as a grant to the Indonesian Government under the US Foreign Military Financing (FMF) scheme. The package was estimated to cost around US$28.3 million, and is part of a greater capacity-building program of the US Government to select Southeast Asian countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Initiative Program. The grant of surveillance UAVs comes as countries in the region faces encroachment of their exclusive economic zones by Chinese government ships, maritime militia and fishing fleets. The ScanEagle 2 UAV has a maximum payload of 5 kilograms consisting of camera and sensors, has a cruising speed of 60 knots, and flight ceiling of 20,000 feet. It can be launched and recovered from land or from naval vessels using a specialized launching equipment. [1] Jalasveva Jayamahe TV [2] The Jakarta Post [3] Asia Pacific Defense Journal