950803

Indonesia to study

offer to buy

Pak F-16s

held by US

JAKARTA: Indonesia's armed forces will study a US offer to sell them Lockheed Corp F-16s combat planes, the official Antara news agency said on Thursday.

"In addition to having a consultation (with the government), the armed forces have yet to thoroughly study the offer," armed forces spokesman Brigadier-General Soewarno Adiwijoyo told Antara.

US State Secretary of State Warren Christopher has asked Indonesia and the Philippines to consider buying F-16 fighters originally ordered by Pakistan but blocked by the US Congress, a senior US official said in Bandar Seri Begawan on Wednesday.

State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said during a meeting between the Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and its seven so-called dialogue partners, including the United States, that the issue was raised in Christopher's meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Ali Alatas.

Indonesia's air force currently has more than 80 combat aircraft, including 12 F-16s.-Reuter