7 French fighter jets make emergency landing in Indonesia
Posted May 19, 2019 3:18 am.
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Poor weather has forced seven French navy fighter jets taking part in a training exercise to make emergency landings in northern Indonesia.
Local air force base commander Col. Hendro Arief says the crews of seven Dassault Rafale combat planes landed safely at Sultan Iskandar Muda air force base in Aceh province on Saturday, 90 minutes after taking off from their aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Indian Ocean.
Arief says the jets were holding a training exercise outside of Indonesian territory when bad weather forced them to land while returning to their carrier, which was about 100 nautical miles west of Sumatra island.
He said Sunday that Indonesia’s air force has completed a comprehensive inspection of the planes.
The Associated Press
