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Indonesian - Aircraft Markings

General background
Historical markings
Fin Flash
Low-Vis

See also:

General background

Indonesia has three air arms - each one with its own roundel:

Jawatan Penerbangan (Aviation Div. of People's Security Army) was formed in 10 Oct. 1945 and became Angkatan Udara Republik Indonesia (Air Force of the Indonesian Republic) on 9 April 1946. Its current name Tetara Nasional Indonesia-Angkatan Udara (Indonesian Armed Forces-Air Force) was adopted on 5 Oct. 1971. Homepage at http://www.tni-au.mil.id/default.asp

The first roundel was adopted in 1946 and was use until 1949 (Cochrane & Elliott, 1998) and consisted of a disc separated to top red and bottom white and horizontal rudder stripes of red-white. See photo at http://members.tripod.com/~imogiri/aircraft/jap2.jpg

Cochrane & Elliott (1998) reported a second roundel in use in 1949-1954 as white disc with red ring (same as Danish roundel) and fin flash of vertical red-white stripes.

In 1954 it was replaced by the current roundel - a white pentagon bordered red and "national" fin flash. See photos at http://www.airliners.net/open.file/159065/L/,
and http://www.scramble.nl/mil/6/tniau/gfx/KT1B.gif.

The naval air arm - "Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut" was formed on 17 June 1956 as "Dinas Penerbangan Angkatan Laut Republik Indonesia" and got its current name on 5 Oct. 1971. Its marking is basically the same as the air force but the roundel is charged with an anchor. See http://www.scramble.nl/mil/6/tniau/gfx/HU411detail370.jpg.

The army aviation "Tentara Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Darat" was formed on 14 November 1959 as Dinas Penerbangan Angkatan Darat (Army Aviation Service) and renamed in 1974. The army homepage is at http://www.mabesad.mil.id/. The army aviation also use the same roundel but charged with a 5-pointed star.
Wheelock (1986) shows the star in gold and Cochrane & Elliott (1998) shows it in black.....and black it is.

Dov Gutterman, 17 June 2004

Starting in 1954 based on the Decree of the Chief of Air Force No. 8/5/Pen/KS/1954 dated January 21, 1954, the identification mark or nationality mark of AURI aircraft was changed to a red and white pentagon. The decree explained, among other things, that the pentagon which signifies Pancasila (five principles) is placed on: 1. The left and right sides of the aircraft body between the letters and numbers of the registration number. 2. Above the left wing of the aircraft. 3. Above and below the right wing of the aircraft. As seen in the picture of this aircraft, starting on April 9, 1954 (coinciding with the commemoration of the eighth anniversary of AURI) this nationality mark of AURI aircraft began to be used. Since then until now the nationality mark of AURI aircraft is in the form of a red and white pentagon. Source: Merdeka, March 1954. Collection of Old Newspapers, National Library of Indonesia (SKJIL-Team).
Located and machine translated by Zachary Harden, 30 August 2024