THE Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) Air Transport Wing recently received the Casa P2 -502 engine after its major calendar Servicing in Bandung, Indonesia.
It took PNGDF seven years to bring back the serviced engine due to lack of funding and the paper work needed to get custom clearance.
However PNGDF Air Transport Wing is fortunate to have the support of the Indonesia Armed Force through Indonesia Ambassador to PNG, Adriana Suprandy in partnership with PNGDF that brought in the engine on Wednesday August 4, 2021.
Supandy said the collaboration strengthens the friendship ties between the two countries and its national security forces.
“The good relationship between Indonesia and PNGDF goes a long way over the years and is growing stronger under the guidance of the treaty of mutual respect, friendship and cooperation signed in 1986,” Supandy said.
He said it was a symbolic occasion to represent the government of Indonesia to hand over the overhauled Casa Aircraft Engine to the government of PNG.
PNGDF Commodore Philip Polewara thanked Indonesia Armed Forces for all the effort put into bringing the Casa engine into PNG including the efforts by the PNG Foreign Affairs.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape further thanked the efforts of the Indonesia government and pledged to support the PNGDF ATW with K50million funding to get the PNGDF up and running.
“We not only building PNGDF to war but to assist in the humanitarian deployments to protect our borders from criminal elements,” Marape said.
He further thanked all the service men and women in the PNGDF and the civil service for serving the country.
