Indonesia will buy 42 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters as part of a series of deals that include submarine development and armament production, France’s defense minister, Florence Parly, announced in Jakarta. A signing ceremony between Eric Trappier, Dassault chairman and CEO, and Air Vice Marshal Yusuf Jauhari from the Indonesian defense ministry, was held on February 9, witnessed by Parly and her Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto. The contract includes a full range of training and logistical support, including two full-mission simulators.
Minister Prabowo confirmed that the Southeast Asian country has placed an initial order for six aircraft, and has committed to buy 36 more. The country first signed a letter of intent to acquire Rafales in June 2021, following which detailed negotiations began. Earlier this year Indonesia stated that a contract was ready to sign, following the establishment of a range of industrial offsets. Among these is the involvement of the country’s main aerospace company, PTDI, in the maintenance, repair, and overhaul for the Rafales.
“It is a great honor for Dassault Aviation to see the Rafale join the highly prestigious Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara [TNI-AU, Indonesian air force], and I would like to thank the Indonesian authorities for the trust they have placed in us,” said Trappier. “This contract marks the start of a long-term partnership that will see Dassault Aviation rapidly step up its presence in the country.”
Following recent orders from Croatia, Greece and the UAE, Indonesia becomes the eighth nation to sign up for the 4.5-generation fighter. The contract should also bring to an end the long-running effort to equip the TNI-AU with a modern fighter. A deal with Russia concerning the acquisition of Sukhoi Su-35s had been agreed but was not finalized due to contractual issues. The deal was also heavily opposed by the U.S. with the threat of CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries by Sanctions Act) actions.
For France, the Indonesian deals are important as the nation seeks to strengthen and expand its geopolitical influence in the Asia-Pacific region following the establishment of the Australia-UK-U.S (AUKUS) strategic alliance. An early casualty of AUKUS was the cancellation by Australia of a submarine deal with France.
Indonesia will buy 42 Dassault Rafale multirole fighters as part of a series of deals that include submarine development and armament production, France’s defense minister, Florence Parly, announced in Jakarta. Parly and her Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, witnessed a February 9 signing ceremony between Eric Trappier, Dassault chairman and CEO, and Air Vice Marshal Yusuf Jauhari from the Indonesian defense ministry.
Minister Prabowo confirmed that the Southeast Asian country has placed an initial order for six aircraft, and has committed to buy 36 more. The country first signed a letter of intent to acquire Rafales in June 2021, after which detailed negotiations began. Earlier this year Indonesia stated that a contract was ready to sign, following the establishment of a range of industrial offsets. The contract includes a full range of training and logistical support, including two full-mission simulators.
“It is a great honor for Dassault Aviation to see the Rafale join the highly prestigious Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara [TNI-AU, Indonesian air force], and I would like to thank the Indonesian authorities for the trust they have placed in us,” said Trappier. “This contract marks the start of a long-term partnership that will see Dassault Aviation rapidly step up its presence in the country.”
Following recent orders from Croatia, Greece and the UAE, Indonesia becomes the eighth nation to sign for the 4.5-generation fighter. The contract should also bring to an end the long-running effort to equip the TNI-AU with a modern fighter. The Indonesians had reached a deal with Russia over the acquisition of Sukhoi Su-35s but did not finalize it due to contractual issues. The U.S. also threatened the deal with CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries by Sanctions Act) actions.
For France, the Indonesian deals are important as the nation seeks to strengthen and expand its geopolitical influence in the Asia-Pacific region following the establishment of the Australia-UK-U.S (AUKUS) strategic alliance. An early casualty of AUKUS was the cancellation by Australia of a submarine deal with France.
On the day following the Rafale announcement, the U.S. State Department approved a request from Indonesia to acquire 36 Boeing F-15ID Eagles for an estimated program cost of $13.9 billion. That version carried similar equipment to the F-15EX and F-15SA/QA Advanced Eagle versions. Specifically, the request included the APG-82(V)1 AESA radar, ALQ-250 EPAWSS self-protection suite, ASG-34 Infrared Search and Track, AAQ-13 LANTIRN navigation pod, and AAQ-33 Sniper targeting pod. Indonesia requested MS-110 pods for multi-spectral reconnaissance capability. The request does not specify between the Pratt & Whitney F100 or General Electric F110 engine.
The Advanced Eagle—along with the Rafale—has appeared on Indonesia’s wish-list for some months, with both types being considered to drive a modernization and expansion of the TNI-AU's fighter capability, although it remains unclear whether the F-15ID purchase will proceed alongside Rafale procurement. Elsewhere in Asia, both Singapore and South Korea operate modern versions of the F-15 Eagle. Earlier this month Japan confirmed that it will upgrade 68 of its F-15Js to the Japan Super Interceptor version.