Jayanty Nada Shofa, Jakarta – A French diplomat said Tuesday that Paris' defense ties with Indonesia had been taking off ahead of the next arrival of the Rafale fighter jets later this year.
Indonesia has placed a multi-billion-dollar order for 42 Rafale fighter jets made by the French defense giant Dassault Aviation in a bid to upgrade its aging air force. In late January, the first three units had landed in Riau Province. Indonesia is expecting to receive more units in the middle of this year. The Jakarta Globe asked French Ambassador to Indonesia Fabien Penone whether everything was going according to plan.
"We are developing our defense cooperation. We are working with our industries and the Indonesian government. So it is going well," Penone said in his Jakarta residence.
Penone did not disclose more details on the Rafales. However, the envoy described defense as an "important basis" in bilateral relations, although Paris is eyeing to expand the scope of cooperation beyond the traditional fields to incorporate sports and culture.
He also stated that the Indonesian troops parading at last year's Bastille Day had given Jakarta "a lot of visibility". The debut that boasted a 451-strong squad had introduced Indonesian military prowess to the French people.
Defense Ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait not long ago announced that France would deliver more Rafale units in "mid-2026". He did not say the exact date, nor how many units the second group would bring, according to the state news agency Antara. However, he had separately told the Globe that arrivals would also depend on the "technical preparedness".
Dassault Aviation described the Rafale as a twin-jet fighter aircraft that can execute all combat aviation missions, including nuclear deterrence. The company also claimed that it had received more export orders than contracts for the French military.
Indonesia's 42-Rafale purchase has the price tag of roughly $8.1 billion.
French President Emmanuel Macron brought home a strategic defense agreement from his Jakarta trip last May. Macron said that this agreement could "open up new perspectives of more Rafale orders". Both governments also inked a pact related to jointly safeguarding defense-related classified information.
At home, President Prabowo Subianto – a former army general – has made some big moves to upgrade the country's arms. Most recently, Indonesia confirmed the purchase of the Indian-made BrahMos missile system. The government has included around Rp 337 trillion ($19.9 billion) in the defense budget this year.