Final batch of Indonesian Rafale fighters enter service
Indonesia will operate a total of 42 Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets. (Photo: Dassault Aviation)
Indonesia has marked the entry of its third final batch of 18 Dassault Rafale multirole fighter jets. The first and second batches of fighters entered the force in September 2022 and August 2023, respectively.
With the last delivery officially approved by Jakarta, Dassault has now completed the three-phase order totalling 42 jets, making the country the largest buyer of French arms in southeast Asia.
The news came just days after Indonesia shelved its plans to acquire 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar due to financial troubles. As Shephard reported earlier this week, the military will use the money originally allocated for the Mirage purchase towards upgrading its existing fleet of Sukhoi Su-30 and Lockheed Martin F-16 aircraft.
The mirages were intended to replace the Northrop F5s, long since withdrawn from service, and would have been used as a training and familiarisation platform while the air force awaits the first of new 42 Dassault Rafale jets it had bought in 2022.
Alongside the Rafales, Indonesia is set to acquire Korea Aerospace Industries’ KF-21 and has also been considering the purchase of up to 24 F-15EX fighters from Boeing.
The Rafale is a delta-wing agile aircraft with forward canards, which allow for short landing and slower speeds, powered by two Snecma M88 engines.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Rafale (Tranche I - III) [Indonesia]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
Proteus: forging the future of autonomous rotorcraft
As the home of British helicopters, Leonardo has worked with the UK Ministry of Defence for over a decade to advance technologies underpinning uncrewed rotorcraft. Today, in partnership with DE&S Future Capabilities Innovation and the Royal Navy, Leonardo is spearheading the next step in that journey: from remotely piloted technologies to fully autonomous systems.
-
DSEI 2025: ‘Future force’ a focus but questions remain on core UK air programmes
Focused on shaping the armed forces for the fight ahead, DSEI will hone in on new technology and small and medium enterprises to help lead the sector forward.
-
India fast-tracks helicopter procurement with dual RFIs for 276 platforms
India has issued urgent RFIs for more than 270 reconnaissance, surveillance and utility helicopters across its services, signalling a systemic overhaul of rotary-wing capabilities with a renewed emphasis on indigenous production and technology transfer.
-
US combat drone plan rushes forward with first flight and selection in FY2026
The US Department of Defence (DoD) previously selected Anduril Industries and General Atomics to develop production-representative prototypes under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme. A competitive Increment 1 production decision is expected in FY2026.