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The Indo-Pacific nation could purchase just under 80 new fighter jets from the US and France to replace its ageing fleet.
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The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has greenlit a potential foreign military sale to Indonesia for 36 Boeing F-15ID aircraft.
The deal, which would be worth approximately US$13.9 billion ($19.3 billion), includes the supply of engine, Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radars, Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability Systems (EPAWSS); and Vulcan gun systems.
Engineering and technical support would also be provided as part of the package.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of an important regional partner that is a force for political stability, and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region,” the DSCA noted in a statement.
“It is vital to US national interest to assist Indonesia in developing and maintaining a strong and effective self-defence capability.”
The F-15ID fighter jets are tipped to bolster the Indonesian Air Force’s deterrence and air defence coverage across both the air and maritime domain.
France has also confirmed the US$8.1 billion ($11.3 billion) sale of 42 Dassault Aviation-built Rafale fighter jets to Indonesia.
As part of the French deal, at least six Rafale jets would be delivered over the coming months, with a further 36 scheduled for delivery either late this year or in 2023.
The are set to replace Indonesia’s ageing fleet of Lockheed Martin-built F-16 and Russian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 jets.
These are the latest arms sales to an Indo-Pacific nation this week, following the approval of the Taiwan’s order of equipment and services to support participation in the Patriot International Engineering Services Program (IESP) and Field Surveillance Program (FSP) over the next five years.
The deal, worth an estimated US$100 million ($139 million), includes engineering services to support, maintain, and enhance the Patriot Air Defense System; and missile field surveillance support for legacy Guidance Enhanced Missile (GEM) and Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles.
[Related: US to deliver Patriot sustainment services to Taiwan]
Charbel Kadib
News Editor – Defence and Security, Momentum Media
Prior to joining the defence and aerospace team in 2020, Charbel was news editor of The Adviser and Mortgage Business, where he covered developments in the banking and financial services sector for three years. Charbel has a keen interest in geopolitics and international relations, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a double major in politics and journalism. Charbel has also completed internships with The Australian Department of Communications and the Arts and public relations agency Fifty Acres.
