Taking a major decision as part of its military modernization campaign, Indonesia has decided to purchase 42 J-10C multirole fighter jets from China instead of Rafale from France. Defense Minister Sajafri Sajamsuddin said that this deal has been approved by the Finance Ministry, the estimated value of which is 9 billion dollars. He said that this deal is a historic step towards strengthening Indonesia’s air power.

Both Rafale and J-10C are 4.5 generation fighter aircraft, but there is a big difference in their capabilities and cost. Rafale is France’s state-of-the-art twin engine fighter jet, which is equipped with Thales’ AESA radar and Meteor missiles. Whereas J-10C is China’s light, fast and economical fighter jet, which has KLJ-7A AESA radar and PL-15 missiles. According to experts, Rafale is technologically superior, but J-10C’s low price and easy maintenance attracted Indonesia towards it.

Highlights of Indonesia deal

While making this deal, Indonesia adopted the policy of more capacity at lower cost. The French Rafale costs around $120 million per jet, while China’s J-10C is available for just $55–60 million. Defense experts say that Indonesia has acquired twice the number of Rafale aircraft at half the price. It has also been claimed in many reports that China had launched an anti-France campaign through its diplomatic channels to push this deal.

China’s big victory – J-10C gets new customer

This decision of Indonesia is being considered a big success for China’s defense industry. This is the second export deal of China’s J-10C fighter, the first was with Pakistan. With this step, China not only increased its strategic presence in South-East Asia, but also challenged the military market of countries like France and America. According to analyst Babak Tagwai, Indonesia does not want to join any one group. It has kept itself independent by having various partnerships.

Indonesia’s defense cooperation with every country

Indonesia’s foreign policy has been non-aligned for a long time. He maintains military relations with America, Russia, France and China. Currently, the Indonesian Air Force has Russia’s Su-27 and Su-30, America’s F-16, South Korea’s T-50 fighter jet and France’s Rafale fighter jet. After this, after the deal with China, it will also have China’s J-10C fighter jet. This diversity gives him strength.

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