Rafales, Sukhois and F-16s Join 81-Aircraft Independence Day Flypast

Indonesia marked its 81st Independence Day on Monday with an air parade and flag-raising ceremonies in Jakarta and in Nusantara, the planned new capital in East Kalimantan. The main event at Merdeka Palace drew thousands of invited guests and the public. After the proclamation anniversary ceremony, 81 military and police aircraft took part in the “Nusantara Flight” flypast. Rafale fighter jets appeared alongside two Airbus A400M transports, escorted over the palace, while the Jupiter Aerobatic Team and Sukhoi, F-16 and Hawk fighters performed maneuvers with red-and-white smoke. Helicopters including Apache and Mi-17 also joined. Security checks were carried out by the Presidential Security Detail, and the celebrations continue Monday afternoon with flag-lowering at 3:30 p.m. Jakarta time.