Indonesia will continue to strengthen its defense capabilities in a context of geopolitical uncertainties, its President Prabowo Subianto announced on Monday when the air force received six French-made Rafale combat planes.
“We must continue to improve our defense capabilities to serve as a deterrent. We have no interests other than the protection of our own territory,” Prabowo said.
“We observe that the global geopolitical landscape is fraught with uncertainty and we recognize that defense is a fundamental prerequisite for stability,” he added.
The Indonesian president inspected equipment delivered to the army at a military base in Jakarta, including six Rafale combat planes and four Falcon 8Xs from French Dassault and an Airbus A400M Atlas, according to a press release from the presidency.
Jakarta has signed an $8.1 billion contract in 2022 for the purchase of 42 Rafale fighter jets. Three of the six Rafales presented on Monday had been delivered in January, Defense Ministry spokesperson Rico Ricardo Sirait told AFP.
He stressed the importance of these fighter jets in strengthening Indonesia’s air defense system and affirmed that the modernization of defense equipment is also an investment aimed at preserving the sovereignty of the nation.
Prabowo, a former general who came to power in 2024, is working to modernize Indonesia’s aging military equipment.
He met French President Emmanuel Macron last month in Paris. The two leaders discussed strengthening strategic cooperation, notably through “the acquisition of defense equipment and strengthening the defense industry”, according to a press release from the Indonesian government.
According to an analyst, it is unlikely that Indonesia will withdraw from the Rafale acquisition contract, despite the pressures weighing on its economy.
Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which is a net importer of oil, is under pressure from rising crude prices, caused by the war in the Middle East, even as the government persists in keeping subsidized fuel prices unchanged.
“Another question is whether the government’s emergency (financial) reserves will be used as part of this acquisition process,” said Christian Guntur Lebang of the Lab45 think tank.
“If this is the case, in the current state of the country’s finances, which are not in good shape, it would certainly be imprudent,” he added.
During Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Jakarta in May 2025, Sébastien Lecornu, then Minister of the Armed Forces, affirmed that Indonesia had signed a letter of intent for the purchase of new Rafale planes from Dassault Aviation, without specifying the figures or the timetable.
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