April 19, 2026 | 01:11 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Defense stated that the plan to add 24 units of the French-made Dassault Rafale fighter jets is still under study and has not yet become a government decision.
If this option is realized, the purchase of 24 Rafale jets will add to the existing order of 42 units, bringing the total to 66 units previously signed by President Prabowo Subianto during his tenure as Defense Minister.
Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, the Head of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defense, told Tempo on Sunday, April 19, 2026, "Up to now, there has been no decision regarding the addition of Dassault Rafale fighter jets beyond the existing contract."
Rico stated that the Indonesian government continues to communicate regarding the purchase of Rafale fighter jets as part of the procurement contract. However, this communication has not yet led to a new contract.
According to Rico, the option to add Rafale jets as part of the Indonesian National Armed Forces' weaponry considers various aspects, including the operational needs of the armed forces, the readiness of support systems, and the state budget's capability.
The plan to add 24 Rafale jets has been circulating since last year. However, the news resurfaced recently when the French media La Tribune wrote about the plan to increase the number of units.
On the Instagram account of the Indonesian military think tank, Indonesia Strategic and Defence Studies (ISDS), @isds.indonesia, La Tribune stated that Indonesia plans to increase the purchase after a meeting between President Prabowo Subianto and French President Emmanuel Macron.
La Tribune made an analysis, stating that the meeting between Macron and Prabowo discussed the new sale of Rafale fighter jets produced by Dassault Aviation. The sale would involve 18 to 24 units of Rafale in addition to the existing 42-unit contract. However, La Tribune stated that the plan depends on Indonesia's capability to finance the new transaction.
Prior to this, the Ministry of Defense announced that 3 Rafale fighter jets would arrive in Indonesia in the middle of this year. The three aircraft are the second wave of the total 42 Rafale jets purchased by Indonesia from Dassault Aviation of France.
With this addition, the Indonesian National Armed Forces now have 6 fighter jets. Rico Sirait stated that the remaining jets will be delivered gradually according to the contract and the technical readiness of both parties.
"The second batch is likely three, so it's only six for now. Moving forward, it will be for several periods to come," he said when met in the Menteng area of Central Jakarta on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
According to the plan, Rico stated that the new aircraft would be received directly by President Prabowo Subianto. However, he has not confirmed when this will take place. "We await the main date," said Rico.
The purchase of Rafale fighter jets is one of the five new defense cooperation agreements agreed upon between the French Minister of the Republic's Armed Forces Florence Parly and Prabowo, who was then the defense minister, on Thursday, February 10, 2022.
The agreement materialized for the first time with the delivery of 3 Rafale fighter jets on January 27, 2026. The arrival of the Rafale jets adds to the Indonesian Air Force's fleet, which was previously composed of T-80, Hawk 100/200, Sukhoi Su-30, and F-16.
According to the defense intelligence agency Janes, the contract value is approximately US$6.5 billion or around Rp 93 trillion. The website Aero Time places the Rafale as the third most expensive fighter jet after the Eurofighter Typhoon, F-35B, and F-35C.
Dede Leni Mardianti contributed to the writing of this article.
Read: Three Rafale Fighter Jets Will Arrive in Indonesia by Mid-2026
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