Final batch of Indonesian Rafale fighters enter service

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The mirages were intended to replace the Northrop F5s, long since withdrawn from service, and would have been used as a training and familiarisation platform while the air force awaits the first of new 42 Dassault Rafale jets it had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.