Overview
- Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said Jakarta will acquire the Chengdu J-10C, confirming a minimum of 42 aircraft.
- Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said his ministry has approved more than $9 billion for the purchase.
- Officials have not provided a delivery schedule, with Sadewa noting he must confirm when the jets will arrive from Beijing.
- The deal would be Indonesia’s first purchase of Chinese-made warplanes and forms part of a wider modernization that also includes 42 Rafales and planned Turkish KAAN jets.
- Analysts warn the China-sourced fleet could heighten regional sensitivities over the South China Sea and pose interoperability and sustainment challenges.