Indonesia and signed this Thursday (10) the contract for the acquisition of 42 Dassault Rafale multi-mission fighters. The g comes on the heels of rumors that the country would have acquired six Rafales, anticipating an even larger order.
The contract was signed at a ceremony held in Jakarta between Dassault CEO Eric Trappier and Air Deputy Marshal Yusuf Jauhari, in the presence of French Defense Minister Florence Parly and her Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto.
Without informing the value of the contract or the deadline for delivery of the fighter jets, the manufacturer claims that the Sale of the Rafale to Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (Indonesian National Army Air Force) includes crew training, logistical for several Indonesian air bases and a training center with two full-mission simulators.
The purchase also includes participation by Indonesia's defense industry in all other major areas of cooperation related to the portfolio of technologies dominated by Dassault Aviation and its industrial partners, Safran Aircraft Engines and Thales.
“It is a great honor for Dassault Aviation to see the Rafale the prestigious Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara air force, and I would like to thank the Indonesian authorities for the trust they have placed in us”, Trappier said.
“This contract marks the beginning of a long-term partnership that will see Dassault Aviation rapidly increase its presence in the country. It also demonstrates the strong bond between Indonesia and and reinforces the position of the world's largest archipelago as a key power on the international stage. I am confident that the Rafale will meet the operational needs of the Indonesian Air Force, actively contributing to the defense and sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia”
With this order, which is one of the largest for the model, Indonesia becomes the first country in Southeast Asia to acquire the French jet and the seventh exporter. The purchase also ends a process of acquiring new fighters that began around 2018 with the initial desire to acquire the Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E.
However, the purchase of Russian fighters came up against the threat of economic sanctions by the United States. In 2020, French media revealed that Paris and Jakarta were negotiating 48 Rafale fighters, while the Asian country was also eyeing the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II.
At the end of 2021, the Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force, Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo, stated that the country had abandoned the idea of acquiring the Su-35 for good, leaving only the Rafale and F-15EX as options. Prasetyo also suggested the possibility of a double purchase of 36 Rafales and eight F-15EX.
Indonesia has become the seventh export customer for the Rafale, which has already been bought by Croatia, Egypt, Qatar, Greece, India and the United Arab Emirates.
