ISTANBUL

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto said that the country plans to buy up to 200 helicopters in 2026, for both defense and natural disaster preparedness, as nearly 900 people lost their lives in the country due to recent floods.

Prabowo, noting Indonesia's location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, referred to the country's propensity to natural disasters and the ongoing emergency response to floods and landslides in the Sumatra region, which killed at least 97 people so far, according to the state-run news agency Antara.

"We have just received five new helicopters this week, and the number will continue to increase. I have ordered my aides to procure 200 helicopters starting January next year," Prabowo said in Jakarta on Friday.

"We cannot afford to frantically look for additional helicopters once a disaster or war has already erupted," he added.

Prabowo said that the government has quickly responded to the disaster in Sumatra, including measures such as deploying 50 helicopters to deliver aid and support search and rescue operations in affected regions.

Indonesia is a resilient nation capable of overcoming crises through collective action and rapid mobilization, he added.

Prabowo reaffirmed the government's commitment to mobilizing all available resources, including military transport aircraft, to ensure rapid disaster response nationwide.

The floods in Indonesia so far killed at least 897 people, with 451 still missing and around 4,200 injured, according to the country's National Disaster Management Agency on Saturday.

More than 3.2 million people have been affected by devastating floods and landslides, while more than 1 million displaced residents were moved to safe areas in the flood-hit provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.

Over 1,600 people lost their lives in the floods and landslides plaguing South Asia, including the worst-hit Indonesia, followed by Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia, according to the UN on Friday.