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ndonesia’s air power will soon get a much-needed boost as the contract to procure Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets was signed on Wednesday after years of negotiation, a defense official said on Thursday.

“The contract was signed on Wednesday,” Defense Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Totok Sugiharto confirmed.

“We expect the aircraft to be delivered this year.”

Indonesia will receive 11 of the heavy twin-engine jets, which Totok said would be in “full combat” configuration, in a contract worth US$1.14 billion.

Due to budget constraints, Indonesia usually buys weapons in separate contracts from the aircraft.

Totok’s confirmation that the Su-35 will be in full combat configuration means that the contract also covers at least some missiles for the fighters other than the internal Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-301 30-mm autocannon.

Totok, however, could not confirm reports that two of the fighters will take part in a flyby during the Indonesian Military (TNI) anniversary parade in October.

Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Jakarta was unable to comment on the contract signing.

“We cannot comment on the matter, neither positively nor negatively,” press attaché Denis Tetyushin said when contacted separately.

When asked whether the embassy would issue an official statement, he said there was no plan for that at the moment.

Currently, Indonesia operates 16 Sukhoi jet fighters comprising six single-seater Su-27 SKMs and 10 two-seater Su-30 MK2s serving with the 11th Squadron in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

The Su-27/30 aircraft were also procured using a countertrade mechanism.

The Su-35s will be stationed with the 14th squadron in Madiun, East Java, replacing American-made Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II light twin-engine fighters, which were decommissioned in 2016.

Wednesday’s contract signing involved a transfer-of-technology scheme and countertrade mechanism as required by Law No. 16/2012 on the defense industry.

The law stipulates that foreign arms acquisition must include a combined deal of 85 percent of countertrade, local content and offset. The local content and/or offset deal is set at a minimum of 35 percent.

In the case of the Sukhoi aircraft, only a 35 percent transfer-of-technology package can be provided for various maintenance capabilities, such as radar targeting, synthetic and enhanced display, integrated logistics management systems, and facilities to maintain and repair AL-417-1S and AL-31F engines.

Other packages involve the establishment of a high-technology aviation hose factory, capability audits of 1,000-hour aircraft maintenance and repair, and capability audits of maintenance of critical avionics systems.

All of these capabilities would include the Indonesian defense industry and would allow Indonesia to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in the region, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said in August 2017 when he conducted a joint press conference with Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita.

Other than Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam also operate various models of the Su-27/30 family.

The remaining 50 percent of the contract is to be achieved through a countertrade balance worth $570 million, involving various commodities such as crumb rubber, crude palm oil and many others.

Indonesia is on its way to modernizing various old weapon systems through both foreign and domestic acquisitions. There are also a number of surplus weapon systems being granted by foreign countries, which are being modernized before being handed over to Indonesia.