Indonesia plans to turn its islands into ‘multiple aircraft carriers' — Here's how

Indonesia has planned to turn its vast network of islands into a system of emergency runways for its fighter jets to “strengthen the operational readiness of the Indonesian Air Force (IAF).”

Experts believe that the announced plan, if successfully implemented, would be equivalent to Indonesia having multiple aircraft carriers.

Indonesian Air Chief Marshal Tonny Harjono said, “All 38 provinces of the country are expected to have at least one toll road section usable for emergency landings.”

Deputy Defence Minister Donny Ermawan Taufano also hailed the plan, saying that it will strengthen the universal defence system.

Having emergency runway access across all 38 provinces would strengthen Indonesia’s strike capability and make it harder for an adversary to target the air force.

Although Indonesia has several maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea, the current plan is not being seen as a direct threat to any country but rather as a move to increase operational readiness and defensive capability.

The conversion of toll roads into emergency landing runways will not affect their primary function as public transportation infrastructure.

In a demonstration on Wednesday, an Indonesian Air Force F-16 fighter jet and a Super Tucano attack aircraft successfully landed on and took off from a toll road in Lampung province, located on the southern tip of Sumatra.