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Indonesia Confirms Purchase of China’s J-10 Fighters as Budget Tops $9 Billion

The move marks Indonesia’s first major Chinese combat aircraft buy, with the quantity and delivery timeline still unannounced.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrives for a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing, China, Nov. 9, 2024 (pool photo by Florence Lo via AP).
A J-10 fighter performs on the opening day of the Changchun Air Show 2025 on September 19, 2025, in Changchun, China's Jilin Province.
A J-10 fighter jet of the Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command takes off during a flight training exercise. (Image credit: China Military Online/Wang Guoyun)
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Overview

  • Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said J-10C jets will be flying over Jakarta soon, without specifying delivery dates.
  • Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa confirmed his ministry approved funding exceeding $9 billion for the acquisition.
  • Reporting on the deal’s size remains inconsistent, with accounts ranging from an initial 10 aircraft to at least 42, and China has not publicly commented.
  • The purchase is part of a wider fighter mix that includes 42 Rafales from France, a 48-aircraft KAAN program with Turkey, and ongoing involvement in South Korea’s KF-21.
  • Analysts caution that the Chinese jet buy could carry regional political sensitivities and create interoperability and sustainment challenges across Indonesia’s diversified fleet.