Dassault Aviation has recently disclosed that the second installment of 18 Rafale fighters for Indonesia has been added to its order backlog on August 10, 2023.
This new addition follows an initial batch of six Rafale aircraft in September 2022. With this latest addition, the Indonesian Air Force’s Rafale order now stands at a total of 24 jets.
The contract, initially signed by Indonesia in February 2022, outlines the procurement of a total of 42 Rafale fighter jets.
“This new step consolidates the beginning of a long-term partnership with the Indonesian authorities, whom I would like to thank once again for their confidence,” Eric Trappier, the Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation commented. “It bears witness to the strategic link that unites Indonesia to France, and will result in the growing presence of Dassault Aviation in the country.”
In addition to this development, Indonesia is poised to receive 12 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar as an interim measure, while awaiting the delivery of the Rafale jets that have been directly ordered from Dassault Aviation.
According to the Indonesian Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto, the 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighter aircraft procured from Qatar still possess approximately 70% of their total flight hours.
The Indonesian Air Force currently maintains a fleet comprising roughly 50 F-16 A/Bs and C/Ds, alongside approximately 10 Russian Su-27SKM and Su-30 fighters.
