Jakarta. The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) plans to develop the domestically produced N219 aircraft and its proposed amphibious variant as flying ambulances to evacuate patients from remote and hard-to-reach areas.

The initiative is intended to overcome one of Indonesia's longstanding healthcare challenges: providing rapid medical access across an archipelago of thousands of islands, including communities where road transportation and conventional airport infrastructure remain limited.

BRIN Chairman Arif Satria said on Sunday that the initiative would harness Indonesia's aerospace technology to support medical services and logistics, particularly across the country's vast archipelago.

"To realize the vision of flying ambulances and future medical logistics, BRIN is building on the strengths of our national aerospace technology," Arif said. "We are advancing the ecosystem for the N219 aircraft and its amphibious variant."

The N219, developed by state-owned aircraft manufacturer Dirgantara Indonesia, is a small twin-engine turboprop designed for short takeoff and landing (STOL) operations, allowing it to serve areas with short runways and limited aviation infrastructure.

Its amphibious variant, known as the N219A, is being developed to operate on water as well as land, potentially expanding medical evacuation capabilities across Indonesia's remote islands and coastal communities.

BRIN is also developing a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft capable of remaining airborne for up to 24 hours, with beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) operations extending to around 2,000 kilometers.

"This long-range unmanned platform provides an independent and reliable system for various critical missions, from tactical surveillance to future emergency logistics," Arif said.

President Prabowo Subianto previously said his administration planned to deploy helicopters and small aircraft as air ambulances to accelerate medical evacuations, particularly in regions where access to healthcare remains difficult.

Prabowo said some Indonesians still have to travel seven to nine hours to reach medical care, including pregnant women requiring urgent assistance during childbirth.

"For that reason, we will also develop air ambulances using helicopters and small aircraft that can land on grass fields, sandy areas and along riverbanks, so that none of our people are left without evacuation when they become ill," Prabowo said on Friday.

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