In a visit to Fort Worth Aviation Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the United States, Indroyono Soesilo, accompanied by the Consul General of Indonesia in Houston, Ourina Ritonga, and the Transport Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC, Ade Kusmana, officially donated new Indonesian aviation artifacts to the museum’s permanent collection.
During the working visit, Ambassador Indroyono presented, among other items, a miniature model of the CN-235/Tetuko Indonesian Air Force aircraft and a painting of the Indonesian Air Force OV-10/F Bronco tactical attack aircraft for display at the Fort Worth Aviation Museum. The artifacts were received by the Museum’s Director, Jim Hodgson, marking the second time Indonesian aviation history has been represented in the museum’s collection.
Previously, in 2016, Professor Indroyono Soesilo — then serving as Indonesia’s Special Envoy to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) — donated a miniature model of the OV-10/F Bronco TNI-AU along with photographs of its pilots and the operational history of the OV-10/F Bronco Squadron (1976–2009) to what was then the Museum OV-10/Bronco.
The OV-10/F Bronco, manufactured by North American Rockwell in the United States, served in 16 countries, including Indonesia, and is notable for having two of the most active Bronco squadrons in military operations — the US Marine Corps in Vietnam and the Indonesian Air Force in East Timor.
The donation of the CN-235/Tetuko model commemorates the achievements of Indonesian aerospace technology on the global stage. The CN-235, produced collaboratively by PT Dirgantara Indonesia (formerly IPTN) of Bandung and CASA of Spain, was first introduced in 1983. The twin-turbo-prop aircraft — capable of carrying up to 35 passengers — has seen production of more than 300 units and operates in over 20 countries, including in the United States.
The aircraft has also appeared in recent international military operations; for example, a CN-235 served in a command and communications role during a US-led mission codenamed “Absolute Resolve” in Venezuela on 3 January 2026.
Looking ahead, PT Dirgantara Indonesia plans to construct an additional 80 CN-235/Tetuko aircraft for domestic operations.
Director Jim Hodgson expressed his appreciation to Ambassador Indroyono for his support of one of the United States’ prominent aviation museums. In response, Ambassador Indroyono indicated that future donations of miniature models of US-made Indonesian Air Force aircraft — including the F-16/Fighting Falcon, A-4/Skyhawk, and T-33/Bird — are planned to further enhance the museum’s collection.
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