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The Joneses..Indonesia Buys Rafales

Dassault Rafale. Anthony Pecchi

SHAH ALAM: Dassault Aviation has signed a contract with Indonesia for the purchase of 42 Rafale Omni-role fighters in Jakarta today. From Dassault Aviation:

(Saint-Cloud, France, February 10, 2022) – In the presence of the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, and the Indonesian Minister of Defence, Prabowo Subianto, the Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, and the Air Vice Marshal Yusuf Jauhari, Head of Defence Facilities Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence, signed the contract for the acquisition by Indonesia of 42 latest-generation Rafale aircraft, at a ceremony held today in Jakarta.

The Rafale acquisition for the Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (Indonesian National Army Air Force) includes a complete turnkey solution, with a comprehensive package that covers aircrew training, logistical support for several Indonesian air bases, and a training center with two full-mission simulators.

The Rafale’s unique “omnirole” capability will provide Indonesia with a tool for sovereignty and operational independence, reinforcing its role as a major regional power.Indonesian industry will benefit from a substantial industrial return, not only in the aeronautical sector, but also in all the other major areas of cooperation relating to the broad portfolio of dual technologies mastered by Dassault Aviation and its industrial partners, Safran Aircraft Engines and Thales.

“It is a great honor for Dassault Aviation to see the Rafale join the highly prestigious Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara air force, and I would like to thank the Indonesian authorities for the trust they have placed in us. This contract marks the start of a long-term partnership that will see Dassault Aviation rapidly step up its presence in the country. It also demonstrates the strong bond between Indonesia and France and reinforces the position of the world’s largest archipelago as a key power on the international stage. I am confident that the Rafale will meet the operational needs of the Indonesian Air Force, actively contributing to the defence and sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia”, said Eric Trappier on this occasion.

Two French Air Force, a single seater and a twin seater taking off in June 2021. French Air Force picture

Apart from the contract for the Rafales, France and Indonesia also signed three MOUs regarding the procurement of two Scorpene submarines, satelittes and production of ordnance.

–Malaysian Defence

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View Comments (61)

  • Congratulations to Indonesia for the purchase of 42 Rafales.

    For us malaysians, no need to fret. We dodged a big bullet not buying Rafales a few years ago.

    RMAF should concentrate on getting LCA/FLIT, things in numbers that we can afford to fly regularly. When that is done, our top of the line MRCA should be stealthy ones that would still be on top of the game for at least 30 more years into the future.

    Getting whatever expensive brand new non stealthy MRCA now, Typhoons, Rafales, Gripen NG, Super Hornets etc is a waste of money when others are now buying F-35 and such.

  • Nama pun abang besar kan....
    Nak harap siapa kat Asean ni boleh satukan suara Asean lawan China?
    Good for them....

  • @gonggok
    "When that is done, our top of the line MRCA should be stealthy ones that would still be on top of the game for at least 30 more years into the future"

    It is true RMAF priority is LCA/FLIT because the money is scarce to buy LCA/FLIT and MRCA at the same time. The Migs replacement is already on hold for years.
    There is nothing wrong buying a 4.5 gen fighter now, they will fly more than 30 years. Of course they will be obselete so any 5 gen fighter which ever RMAF will buy someday. A lot of factors to be considered. The right term is "low observable" jet fot 5 gen fighter. It still can be detected or defeated, they are not invicible even to 4.5 gen fighter. Tech is growing everyday we can not wait the latest invicible fighter produced.

  • @gonggok
    "When that is done, our top of the line MRCA should be stealthy ones that would still be on top of the game for at least 30 more years into the future"

    It is true RMAF priority is LCA/FLIT because the money is scarce to buy LCA/FLIT and MRCA at the same time. The Migs replacement is already on hold for years.
    There is nothing wrong buying a 4.5 gen fighter now, they will fly more than 30 years. Of course they will be obselete so any 5 gen fighter which ever RMAF will buy someday. A lot of factors to be considered. The right term is "low observable" jet fot 5 gen fighter. It still can be detected or defeated, they are not invicible even to 4.5 gen fighter. Tech is growing everyday we can not wait the latest invicible fighter produced.

  • Romeo,

    Now is already the dawn of the 5th generation fighters. There is no reason for RMAF now to buy expensive brand new 4th gen fighters that we would be stuck with for 30-40 years into the future. We should not be flying new but obsolete 4th gen fighters 30-40 years into the future when the exact same money we could use to buy 5th gen fighters now.

    But it is a different scenario for RMAF to buy used 4th gen fighters for cheap now, so we could have a stopgap to use for 10 years at most.

  • Indonesian politicians are good at boosting their countrymen nationalism thru procuring defence assets...even in hard times

  • Gonggok - ''Getting whatever expensive brand new non stealthy MRCA now, Typhoons, Rafales, Gripen NG, Super Hornets etc is a waste of money when others are now buying F-35 and such''

    No doubt that's your opinion but it's not ''a waste of money'' because legacy platforms will stil be operated by others for a number of years [not everyone can buy F-35s in numbers], a legacy platform is not totally impotent against a F-35 [its low observable not invincible or invisible per see] and various factors come into play, including whether a F-35 [or a similar gen platform] is operating as part of a networked centric environment.

  • To those learned, i have a question, why TNI AU is planning to have Rafael AND F15? isn't it better to have a single type as both are almost of a same MRCA? Or are they still just don't want to be bargoed again?