U.S. will sell Indonesia 8 attack helicopters in $500M deal

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, left, speaks during a joint press conference with his Indonesian counterpart Purnomo Yusgiantoro, right, after meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, today.

JAKARTA, Indonesia  — U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says the Pentagon will sell eight Apache attack helicopters to Indonesia for $500 million.

The deal includes high-tech Longbow radars.

At a news conference today in the Indonesian capital, Hagel also said Indonesia has agreed to discuss allowing U.S. recovery teams to search for the remains of U.S. troops lost on Indonesian soil or in its territorial waters during World War II. The work will be done by the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command.

Hagel is in Jakarta to meet with top government officials before attending an Asian defense ministers meeting in Brunei.