Indonesian Air Force and BMKG Modify Weather to Secure Water for New Capital

The Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) and the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) have launched a weather modification operation over East Kalimantan, including the new capital region of Nusantara (IKN). The operation, scheduled from August 22 to August 27, 2026, aims to increase rainfall in an area experiencing the effects of a strong El Nino and reduced precipitation.

A Casa NC-212 aircraft from Air Squadron 4, equipped with sodium chloride as seeding material, has been deployed. This joint effort between TNI AU, the IKN Authority, and BMKG seeks to enhance the chances of rain in the target areas. According to the Commander of Lanud Dhomber, Colonel Pnb I Gusti Ngurah Sorga Laksana, all necessary support elements are prepared.

"We have one Casa NC-212 aircraft from Air Squadron 4 with the appropriate crew to support the weather modification operation from August 22 to August 27," Gusti stated on Saturday, August 22, 2026. A coordination briefing and equipment checks were conducted the previous day.

The Casa NC-212 has a flight endurance of about four hours and can carry up to 800 kilograms of seeding material. The aircraft will conduct cloud seeding when BMKG identifies clouds with sufficient water vapor and suitable characteristics. This process involves intervening in existing clouds to boost the likelihood of rain, not creating rain from clear skies.

The operation is particularly relevant as most of East Kalimantan is in its dry season. BMKG data from early August 2026 indicated that 76.5% of Indonesia, including much of East Kalimantan, had entered the dry season, with 90.79% experiencing low rainfall. Some districts in East Kalimantan are on alert for meteorological drought, coinciding with a very strong El Nino event. Djoko Sumardiono, head of the Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan Balikpapan Meteorological Station, noted that the dry conditions present a challenge, as limited cloud cover reduces the potential for seeding.