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View all search resultsIndonesia has received three Rafale fighter jets from France
The jets arrived on Friday with an official handover ceremony to be held at a later date, he said. Three more jets are expected to arrive later this year.
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The first flight of the Indonesian Air Force’s Rafale B, registration number T-0301, where takes place in Mérignac, Bordeaux, France, on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2025. (Courtesy of the Indonesian Air Force/Courtesy of the Indonesian Air Force)
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ndonesia has received three Rafale fighter jets from France as part of a first batch of deliveries, defence ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Rico Ricardo Sirait said on Monday.
The jets arrived on Friday with an official handover ceremony to be held at a later date, he said. Three more jets are expected to arrive later this year.
Amid growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia has signed several deals with French defence companies in recent years.
Under the 2021 agreement with France, Indonesia has placed an order for 42 Rafale fighter jets worth a total of $8.1 billion.
Indonesia has also ordered two Scorpene-class attack submarines from France's Naval Group as part of a defence cooperation agreement signed with Paris in 2021.
The diesel-electric Scorpenes, capable of carrying 18 torpedoes and missiles, will be built at the PT PAL shipyard in Indonesia, Naval Group said in a statement.
Under the deal, Naval Group will transfer its technological know-how while "the management, operation and maintenance will be conducted in Indonesia" by Indonesians.
The defense deal is the latest sign of warming ties between Jakarta and Paris, as France rethinks its alliances in the region following the collapse of a multibillion-dollar Australian submarine deal.
The Dassault Aviation Rafale aircraft, which entered service in 2004, has proved popular in the international market despite competition from American and other European manufacturers.
The United Arab Emirates signed the biggest ever order for the jets in December, with a deal to buy 80 for 14 billion euros.
Other foreign clients include Qatar, India, Egypt, Greece and Croatia.
