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Indonesia's purchase of US fighter jets remains in negotiation
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Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) salutes the honor guard alongside United States Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin during the former's visit to the Pentagon in Virginia, the United States, on Oct. 20. (Courtesy of US Department of Defense/-)
T
he US$13.9 billion worth of purchase by the Indonesian Defense Ministry of the F-15 Eagle heavyweight fighters from the United States remains in negotiations, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto has said.
Prabowo, who met with the US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin at the Pentagon defense complex earlier this month, told a press conference on Thursday that Indonesia is seeking to purchase the F-15EX with installment plans.
"We clearly asked that we must be able to buy in terms of paying in installments, we can't do it all at once. The government always prioritizes economic development and so on," Prabowo said.
“We have quite an advanced [progress] with [France regarding the purchase of] Rafale [jets] and we are still negotiating with the other party, the F-15. But of course, this will continue to be negotiated later and hinges on the terms of finance and what they offer us."
Indonesia’s request for the US warplanes comes as Jakarta replaces an aging fleet -- consisting mainly of American F-16s and Russian Sukhois -- as concerns grow about rising US-China tensions in Asia.
The Pentagon announced in February that the US State Department has approved the potential sale of up to 36 F-15ID fighter jets and related equipment, including munitions and communications systems, to Indonesia in a deal valued at up to $13.9 billion.
The US State Department broke the prolonged silence a day after Prabowo announced signed agreements with France to purchase 42 Dassault Rafale fighter jets and two Scorpene-class submarines as Prabowo met his French counterpart Florence Parly in Jakarta.
