Indonesia has made significant strides in improving its flight capabilities. While signing a major agreement with France for participating Rafale fighter jets, the US Department of State approved the sale of its F-15ID.
According to the French defense ministry, Indonesia has ordered Rafale 42 fighter jets for $ 8.1 billion as part of a series of agreements involving the construction of submarines and ammunition, making Jakarta the largest buyer of French weapons in the region.
Shortly afterwards, the Pentagon claimed that the US Department of State had eliminated the possible sale of F-15ID aircraft and related equipment to Indonesia on a $ 13.9 billion deal. The aircraft is a type of F-15EX combat jet.
The Indonesian government has long been trying to modernize its advanced fighter jets which include US-made F-16s and Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets purchased in Russia.
The Indonesian Air Force official announced in December 2021 that the government would choose a US-made F-15EX Eagle II or a French-made Rafale instead of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-35.
Although Jakarta has not yet said why it made this decision, it may be related to concerns about American sanctions under CAATSA (Counting America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act),
China-Indonesia conflict
The conflict between China and Indonesia is related to the waters surrounding the Natuna Islands in the South China Sea. Areas north of Natuna Island are within Jakarta’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is recognized by UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) as Indonesian waters, where the government cannot exploit resources.
During a months-long dispute in the South China Sea in early 2021, China had asked Indonesia not to test oil and natural gas in rival seas. However, new tensions emerged in late 2021 when Jakarta began working with international companies to test EEZ for services.
China’s claim of more than 80 percent of the South China Sea, including the waters surrounding Natuna, has created divisions, which could have strengthened Jakarta to make a quick deal. A powerful 4.5-gen Rafale fighters could allow Indonesia to maintain effective defenses against China’s PLA Air Force.
In addition, Indonesia’s geo-strategic region makes it a major region in the Indo-Pacific region as a whole aimed at combating Chinese growth in the region. French Rafales for Air Superiority
Rafale’s agreement comes as Paris, which sees itself as a world power, is trying to strengthen geopolitical ties in the Indo-Pacific following an agreement with AUKUS, a new strategic alliance between the US, UK, and Australia last year.
According to French Minister of Defense Florence Parly, Indonesia will be the second country in the Indo-Pacific region, after India, to rely on Dassault Aviation.
“We plan to buy 42 Rafale,” said Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto during a meeting with Parly.
Our strategic partnership will benefit the depth of our defense relations, ”said Parly.
The first phase of the contract, which includes six Rafale jets, will be completed in the coming months and another 36 will arrive later this year or next year, he added.
Dassault Aviation said the agreement was the beginning of a long-term partnership that would allow it to expand its presence in Indonesia faster. News of the program increased the company’s stock by almost 4 percent.
In addition to warplanes, Indonesia has also signed a cooperation agreement to co-operate in the submarine investigation, which is expected to result in the case of two Scorpene ships from the Naval Group, according to the French defense ministry.
The plan will make Indonesia, which is currently ranked second behind Singapore, France’s largest military customer in Southeast Asia.
Rafale is a French twin-jet aircraft capable of performing a wide range of short and long-range missions, including air control and air protection, proximity support, deep strikes, re-research, anti-ship strikes, and nuclear deterrence.
Rafale fighter weapons include Mica, Magic, Sidewinder, ASRAAM, and AMRAAM aerial missiles, Apache, AS30L, ALARM, HARM, Maverick, and PGM100 missiles -air-to-ground, as well as Exocet / AM39, Penguin 3, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
The Thales Spectra electronic warfare system, which includes solid-state transmitters, DAL laser warning receiver, arrow warning, test systems, and jammers, are also included in Rafale. American F-15ID approved
With the exception of the Rafales, Indonesia may soon be equipped with one of America’s leading dog fighters, the F-15ID. It comes from an F-15EX aircraft.
According to Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Boeing is a leading contractor of F-15 aircraft. The package will include 36 jets, spare engines, radars, night vision training, and technical support.
According to media reports, Indonesia plans to buy more than 70 aircraft from France and the US.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency informed Congress of the possible sale on February 10. However, despite the approval of the State Department, the release does not mean that the contract has been signed or that negotiations have ended.
The military aircraft is equipped with the latest electronic warfare (EW) system, advanced cockpit systems, current sensors, and radars, as well as the latest equipment and software systems. It has open-air infrastructure (OMS) with advanced warfare management systems (ABMS), which allow for rapid integration of the latest aviation technology and ensure stage compliance for decades.
The aircraft is equipped with fly-by-wire flight controls as well as the APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, which will provide improved multi-target tracking and precision engagement capabilities.
The F-15EX Strike Eagle jet is powered by two F110-GE-129 engines, each of which produces 29,000lb of torque. The aircraft has a top speed of Mach 2.5, making it the fastest fighter jet in the world. It has a 1,200nm range, allowing it to hit deep targets.
