On 10 February 2022, the Defence Ministers of Indonesia and France reached an agreement on two contracts to purchase the French-made Dassault Rafale fighter jets and Naval Group attack submarines that will be joining the Asiatic country’s arsenal soon.
The deal came after two years of negotiations and was announced by Florence Parly, France’s Defence Minister, who declared that Indonesia had ordered up to 42 new Rafale jets for its air force, becoming the seventh export nation to commit to the Dassault Aviation-made aircraft. (Machi, 2022). On the same day, she celebrated the agreement on Twitter, stating, “France is proud to contribute to the modernization of the armed forces of our partner, who plays a key role in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and in the Indo-Pacific.”
According to the contract, France will handle six jets to Indonesia in the next few months, while the remaining 36 aircraft will be delivered either later this year or next year (Hummel & Widianto, 2022). In addition, the contract, worth $8.1 bn, includes aircrew training, logistical support for several Indonesian air bases, and a training centre with two full-mission simulators, per a Dassault statement (Machi, 2022). It would also make Indonesia – currently ranking second after Singapore – France’s most significant military procurement client in Southeast Asia (Hummel & Widianto, 2022).
However, Indonesia’s efforts to upgrade its military power do not stop there. Officials from the France-based Naval Group – which co-developed the submarine with Spain’s Navantia – and Jakarta’s state-owned ship manufacturer PT PAL signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to build the boats in Indonesia under a technology transfer agreement (Machi, 2022). The memorandum, also signed on 10 February, aims at bolstering the cooperation on the development of submarines, which is set to result in an order of two Scorpene vessels, produced by Naval Group – according to the French Defence Ministry (Hummel & Widianto, 2022).
Written by Emanuele Bussagli
Bibliography:
Machi, V. (2022, February 10). “Indonesia looks to French industry to supply new fighter jets, attack submarines.” Defense News. [online] Available at: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2022/02/10/indonesia-looks-to-french-industry-to-supply-new-fighter-jets-attack-submarines/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Breaking%20News%202.10.22&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Breaking%20News
Hummel, T. & Widianto, S. (2022, February 10). “France seals $8.1 billion deal with Indonesia to sell 42 Rafale jets”. Reuters. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/indonesia-orders-42-rafale-jets-french-defence-minister-says-2022-02-10/
