Indonesian Air Force airlifts 4.6 tons of dry ice for rainmaking

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Air Force has airlifted 4.6 tons of dry ice to South Sumatra and South Kalimantan to bolster emergency weather modification operations against widespread forest fires, the military confirmed Monday.

Two Hercules transport aircraft executed the mission from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base in East Jakarta on Sunday, delivering critical supplies to trigger artificial rain and disperse toxic haze.

"The weather modification operation is being conducted to help disperse smoke in areas affected by forest and land fires," Head of the TNI Information Center Major General Muhammad Nas said in an official statement.

The military deployed two C-130 Hercules transport planes, designated A-1339 and A-1344, to carry out the strategic cargo delivery.

Manifest details show the A-1339 completed two sorties to transport 2,338 kilograms of dry ice to Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, while the A-1344 delivered a split payload of 1,123 kilograms to Banjarmasin and 1,162 kilograms to Palembang, South Sumatra.

Ground crews and cloud-seeding teams in Palembang and Banjarmasin will deploy the dry ice into cloud formations across affected zones to quench lingering hotspots and reduce air pollution.

Nas reaffirmed that the military remains committed to deploying transport fleets and aerial assets alongside civilian emergency agencies to contain seasonal land fires and stabilize regional air quality.

Translator: Walda Marison, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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