By Zarak Khan | 2025-11-18

Indonesia is moving ahead with its $8.1 billion purchase of 42 Rafale fighter jets from France, with the first aircraft set to arrive in early 2026.

The multirole fighters, built by Dassault Aviation, are scheduled for phased delivery beginning in February 2026, according to Air Force Chief Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono.

A second batch is expected in April 2026, with all 42 jets entering service over the coming years, state news agency Antara reported in September.

Four pilots from the Indonesian air force completed their first solo flights aboard the Rafale fighter jet during training in France this September.

French and Indonesian officials say the acquisition not only strengthens bilateral defense ties but underscores Jakarta's confidence in Paris as a strategic partner.

The Rafale program has become a central element of Indonesia's efforts to modernize its air force and strengthen deterrence across the Indo-Pacific, where tensions over the South China Sea and regional territorial disputes persist. Indonesia joins countries including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and India in operating the French-made jets.

The sales are a key component of France's defense export strategy and part of France's push to deepen security ties across Asia as China expands its influence.

Harjono said the Rafales will provide a significant boost to the Indonesian air force, which currently flies platforms including the T-50, Hawk 100/200, Sukhoi Su-30 and F-16.

Indonesia's choice of the Rafale comes despite pressure and the availability of cheaper alternatives such as China's J-10C.

A May report by the China Global South Project notes that Jakarta operates a highly mixed fleet sourced from the United States, Russia and Europe.

It suggested that fully "integrating a complete Chinese defense ecosystem might introduce more complexity than value" for Jakarta.

Countering disinformation

The move to press ahead with the French deal follows what Paris describes as a "major disinformation campaign" earlier this year aimed at undermining confidence in the Rafale's performance.

The online campaign escalated after four days of India-Pakistan clashes in May, during which unverified claims circulated alleging that several Indian Rafales had been shot down. Pakistan said its air force downed five Indian aircraft, including three Rafales.

French officials sharply rejected the claims. French air force Chief Gen. Jérôme Bellanger said available evidence indicated India lost three aircraft: one Rafale, one Russian-built Sukhoi and one Mirage 2000.

According to a July report by the Associated Press (AP), French intelligence services tracking the online effort found that more than 1,000 newly created social media accounts amplified narratives promoting Chinese technological superiority over the Rafale.

The alleged campaign was not limited to online channels. The AP report added that it was reinforced through diplomatic means, with Chinese defense attachés reportedly casting doubt on the Rafale, seeking to persuade buyer countries, including Indonesia, "not to buy more and to encourage other potential buyers to choose Chinese-made planes."

Justin Bronk, an airpower specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, told AP that China may be hoping to "weaken the security relationships that France is building with Asian nations by spreading worries about the equipment it supplies."

"From a point of view of limiting Western countries' influence in the Indo-Pacific, it would make sense for China to be using the performance of Pakistani weapon systems -- or at least purported performance -- in downing at least one Rafale as a tool to undermine its attractiveness as an export," he said.

Strengthening Indonesia-France ties

Beyond the Rafale program, Indonesia agreed in 2024 to purchase two Scorpene-class submarines from France's Naval Group, and in 2023 announced the acquisition of 13 long-range air-surveillance radars from Thales.

Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and French Ambassador Fabien Penone November 13 held talks that highlighted "the growing intensity of defense cooperation between the two countries, now elevated to a strategic partnership," Asia Today reported.

Both sides "reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defense cooperation through constructive dialogue and mutual respect, with a shared focus on supporting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region."

France and Indonesia also coordinate through several regional mechanisms, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Western Pacific Naval Symposium, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and the Heads of Asian Coast Guard Agencies Meeting.