Indonesia orders next batch of 18 Rafale fighters
Indonesia has ordered the next 18 Rafale fighters for its air force from France. (Photo: Gordon Arthur)
The next 18 Rafale fighters for Indonesia have been formally ordered.
Dassault Aviation announced on 10 August that a contract covering a second tranche of Rafale fighters for Indonesia had come into force that day. Ultimately, Jakarta intends to purchase 42 Rafales, but it is ordering them in batches rather than all at once.
This second tranche comprises 18 French-built fighters destined for the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU).
The trigger for this announcement would have been Indonesia paying an initial instalment for this next batch. Indonesia routinely uses funds from foreign lenders to finance large defence acquisitions, and the Ministry of Finance gave approval last year to secure $2.9 billion in
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