During the month of Ramadan, the Indonesian Air Force has to fulfill an unusual duty: to serve as a wake-up call for tens of millions of people over several cities of the island of Java.
The Indonesian Air Force has confirmed to the local media Kompas its plans to fly formations of two fighter jets, either F-16 or T-50i, every morning during the month of Ramadan.
The unusual schedule of those training flights has a very simple explanation: “10:00 am. is the time limit given by the medical team to fly during fasting because after that time blood sugar levels have decreased and are not fit to fly unless by canceling fasting if necessary,” said Colonel Sus M Yuris, a spokesperson for the Indonesian Air Force.
Those flights at low altitude, especially with the use of afterburners, should be enough to wake up quite a few people in time for the Sahur, the meal before dawn. “So to train in the morning and to wake the people for Sahur is a combined mission,” said Yuris.
This operation has been ongoing for several years already and aims at bringing Indonesian citizens and their army closer together