Indonesia buys 48 KAAN fighter jets from Turkey

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — Kaan during runway tests at its facilities in Ankara on March 17, 2023. (Photo via Wikipedia)

JAKARTA  -  Indonesia has signed a contract to buy 48 KAAN fighter jets from Turkey, the Indonesian defence ministry said on Tuesday, sealing the latest purchase by the Southeast Asian nation aimed at modernising its ageing military hardware.

In order to strengthen its air force, Jakarta also ordered 42 French Rafale jets worth $8.1 billion in 2022. It is also considering ordering China's J-10 fighter jets and continues talks to purchase the U.S.-made F-15EX jets. 

Indonesia and Turkey "signed an implementation contract" last Saturday on the sidelines of the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul, defence ministry spokesperson Frega Wenas Inkriwang said in a statement.

He did not provide details of the contract value or delivery dates. 

KAAN is Turkey's first national combat aircraft and it completed its first flight in February last year, but serial production is not expected to begin until 2028. 

Turkey's defence ministry called the jet a fifth-generation aircraft and said it will be powered by two General Electric F-110 engines, which are also used in the fourth-generation Lockheed Martin F-16 jets.

Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeedin witnessed the agreement signing, Frega said, adding the contract signing reaffirms the commitment of both governments to strengthen joint technology development and expand Indonesia’s defence industry capacity. 

Indonesia also signed an MoU with Turkey's TAIS Shipyard to purchase two Milgem Istif class frigates during the defence fair in Istanbul, according to a social media post by Sjafrie late on Monday. 

The defence ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters' question about details of the frigate deal. 

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; editing by Gibran Peshimam and Raju Gopalakrishnan // REUTERS)