Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – The Indonesian Air Force is deploying two F-16 fighting jets for patrol operation over the East Nusa Tenggara province that share borders with Timor Leste and Australia, an air force officer said.

The two F-16 fighting jets have been in a patrol operation over the border areas since Monday (Sept 14), Colonel Bambang Juniar Jupiter, the Commander of the El Tari Air Base in the province’s capital of Kupang, told journalist on Tuesday (Sep 15).

The patrol operation was scheduled to take place until Thursday (Sept 17), Jupiter noted, adding that the two F-16 fighters are headquartered in the Squadron 3 of the Iswahyudi Air Base in East Java province’s city of Madiun.

He pointed out that the two jets are deployed to detect possible violations on Indonesia’s air territories by foreign aircraft, as well as illegal activities committed by irresponsible parties in East Nusa Tenggara territorial waters which share borders with the two countries.

Col. Jupiter said no violations or illegal activities against the Indonesian territories were found during the operation on Monday and Tuesday.

Reporting by Indonesia Window