Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia considers developing Kertajati Airport in West Java as a regional hub for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of C-130 Hercules military aircraft.Still in the planning stage, Defense Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait emphasized that so far, no deadline was set for the start of the construction of the Hercules maintenance hub.“In principle, the government is still in the planning and conceptual stage regarding the development of the aerospace ecosystem in Kertajati—including the development of MRO facilities for both commercial and military needs,” Rico said in his statement on Tuesday.He stated that Indonesia must consider many aspects, including the technicalities of the cooperation agreement, the technicalities of the MRO facility construction and the MRO management model to be used, prior to the construction process.All of these aspects must be considered to ensure that MRO operations align with national interests, Rico emphasized.In addition, the development and operation of MRO must also involve the domestic defense industry.Thus, it can stimulate the national economy while strengthening the quality of domestic defense industry products, he explained.Earlier, Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin conveyed the offer from the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to make Indonesia a maintenance hub for C-130 Hercules aircraft in the Asia region.President Prabowo Subianto was reported to have approved the offer and designated Kertajati Airport as the location.On the other hand, there are concerns that Indonesia’s position will increasingly be drawn into the US’ interests.Indonesian lawmaker T.B. Hasanuddin urged the government to exercise caution, given the US military’s strong interests in such strategic cooperation.“If the facility is exclusively for supporting the operations of US military aircraft in the Asian region, it could be perceived as a US military base in Indonesia,” Hasanuddin noted.Kertajati Airport has been in operation since May 24, 2018. Covering an area of 1,800 hectares, Kertajati features a 3,000-meter long and 60-meter wide runway, which can accommodate various types of wide-body aircraft, such as the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330.