Boeing
David Calhoun, President and CEO of Boeing
Boeing is the third largest weapons manufacturer in the world, with an annual revenue of US $32 billion (2020 figures). Their big ticket item is the F35 'fighter jet', which sell for around $100 000 000 per aircraft, even though fighter jets have not been used in combat since World War II. There are vocal campaigns against wasting public money on Boeing war planes in Canada, the USA and Australia.
Calhoun became Boeing CEO in January 2020. During the Covid outbreak Boeing sacked 30 000 workers. Calhoun ‘disavowed’ his salary in March of 2020. By then, he had received $269,231 in salary and $289,715 in other compensation — perks such as company planes, retirement benefits and home-security. Calhoun also gained $20 million plus in stock benefits.
In 2020 the Boeing CEO's salary benefits equalled $21 million USD.
In 2020 30 000 Boeing workers lost their jobs.
Boeing sells attack helicopters to both the Indonesian Air Force and Army. Boeing 'Apache' Helicopters have been sighted strafing villages in West Papua.
Boeing is poised to sell 36 new F15EX fighter jets to Indonesia’s air force after meeting with Indonesia’s Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto in October 2020. The F15EX deal, negotiated after the Trump administration dropped a visa ban against Prabowo, is worth $USD billionsto Boeing. Prabowo had been banned from entering the US under legislation prohibiting known war criminals from obtaining visas. Now Defence Minister, Prabowo was once head of the notorious special forces unit Kopassus and stands accused of multiple crimes against humanity. In February of 2022 Prabowo signed off on a deal to spend $8.1 billion on Dassault Rafale jets, prompting the US to immediately approve the sale of the 36 F15EX weapons.
In 2022 Boeing announced it would leave its Chicago HQ, after a successful campaign to 'Boot Boeing' by We Are Dissenters. Boeing's relocation to Washington will put the weapons corporation closer to channels of political power, however.
Weapons
ScanEagle UAV
ScanEagle UAV
The ScanEagle UAV is a small, long-endurance, low-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) built by a subsidiary of Boeing called Insitu, and is used for reconnaissance. Indonesia ordered 8 ScanEagles in 2019 using 'Maritime Security Initiative' aid from the USA; the Boeing surveillance drones were effectively donated. 6 others were ordered for TNI-AL, and the Indonesian navy started receiving the drones from June 2021. The drones were unveiled during an inauguration ceremony for Skuadron Udara 100 (Aviation Squadron 100 - dedicated to anti-submarine helicopters) and Skuadron Udara 700 (Aviation Squadron 700 - maintenance of the Indonesian Navies fleet of both land-based and shipborne drones).
V-22 Osprey Transport Helicopter
The V-22 Osprey Transport helicopter is designed to combine the functionality of a conventional helicopter with the long-range, high-speed cruise performance of a turboprop aircraft. They are priced at $70 million. Data from SIPRI indicates Indonesia ordered eight V-22’s in 2020.
AH-64E Apache combat helicopter
AH-64E Apache helicopter
The AH-64E Apache combat helicopter is a variation of the AH-64 helicopter, and carries a 30mm machine gun and four “hard points” for missiles such as AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. Indonesia ordered 8 Apache helicopters in 2013 in a $500m deal, which were delivered in 2017/18.
In September 2012, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified congress that Jakarta was seeking eight Apaches in the US Army's new Block III configuration, with the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal to include four APG-78 Longbow fire control radars. The sale would also cover the supply of further equipment and services, including an armaments package to include 120 Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles. At the time, the DSCA valued the deal at $1.4 billion.
These Boeing helicopters have been identified in strafing attacks in the West Papuan highlands. Soldiers fired mounted machine guns directly from the open chopper towards people, homes and farms on the ground.
TNI AD shooting from a Boeing Apache helicopter in Puncak Jaya, West Papua, April 2021
Joint Direct Attack Munition
The Joint Direct Attack Munition (or JDAM) is a conversion kit that adds guidance capability to otherwise unguided bombs. The kit can be added to bombs weighing between 500 and 2000 pounds. Indonesia ordered 102 JDAM kits in 2017 to be used on bombs fitted to F-16 aircraft, which were delivered in 2019.
737
A Boeing 737 is used to transport troops to West Papua in February 2021
Three Boeing 737 aircraft operated by the Indonesian Air Force are used to transport troops in and out of West Papua. The above photograph was taken in February 2021 and show troops departing their home base for deployment to West Papua, where they are expected to gain 'conflict experience'.