LAPANGAN TERBANG BELANDA DI MELAK-SENDAWAR SEBAGAI PERTAHANAN UDARA KALIMANTAN TIMUR

Abstract

There is an interesting airport bulit by Dutch to be considerable studied in Melak-Sendawar, East KalimantanProvince. The paper with aim to describe archaeological data at the airport uses inductive interpetatif method. The resultshows that the airport has been built to anticipate the Japanese invasion. That are supported by the existence of doublerunway surrounded by facilities such as command center office, pillboxes, arsenals, bunkers, prisons, water storages,electrical substations, roads, and hospitals. Those infrastructures represented a strategy to harbor East Kalimantan whichhas ample of mineral resources. It is concluded that the existence of Melalan airport and surrounding fasilities are evincingof planned air defense (could be a model of sturdily national defence). This airport which was also called as Samarinda IIairfield had a role in preparation of “Ganyang Malaysia” operation during confrontation in 1964.