Indonesia's defence ministry said it has taken delivery of three Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France, the first tranche in a multibillion‑dollar defence package that Jakarta agreed with Paris. The aircraft arrived last week and have been stationed at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Force Base near Pekanbaru in western Sumatra, where the air force says they are ready for operations.
The Rafale purchase is part of a broader defence deal first signed in 2022, worth roughly $8 billion and expanded last year, under which Indonesia has ordered up to 42 Rafales alongside French frigates and submarines. The procurement reflects a sustained increase in defence spending under President Prabowo Subianto, a former special forces commander who has prioritised modernising Indonesia’s military capabilities.
Defence officials said further Rafales are expected to be delivered later this year, though Jakarta has not specified the number or timetable. The arrival of these advanced fourth‑generation fighters marks a notable step in Indonesia’s effort to close capability gaps in air defence, maritime patrol and deterrence across its vast archipelagic territory.
The deliveries carry regional significance. Indonesia sits astride key sea lanes and has increasingly asserted its interests around the Natuna Islands and in nearby waters contested amid broader South China Sea tensions. Modern fighters improve Jakarta’s ability to patrol maritime approaches, deter incursions and project presence across thousands of miles of archipelagic waters.
For France, the deal bolsters its strategic footprint in Southeast Asia and sustains its defence industrial base through exports of the Rafale and naval platforms. For Jakarta, the challenge will be integrating complex new systems — from pilot training and maintenance to logistics and interoperability — while managing the long‑term costs of a rapid military build‑up and maintaining balanced ties with neighbouring powers.