Indonesia to buy 42 Rafale warplanes from France

The deal comes as Indonesia seeks to replace an ageing air fleet amid rising US-China tensions

It’s also the latest sign of warming ties between Jakarta and Paris, as France rethinks its alliances in Asia following the collapse of an Australian submarine deal

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French Defence Minister Florence Parly (left) with her Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:16pm, 10 Feb 2022

Indonesia signed a deal with France on Thursday to buy six Rafale warplanes as part of an anticipated total order of 42, as Paris bolsters military ties in the Asia-Pacific.

The agreement was announced as Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto met his French counterpart Florence Parly in Jakarta.

“We agreed on the purchase of 42 Rafales. The contract signed today is for the first six, which will be followed by 36 others,” said Subianto.

It is the latest sign of warming ties between Jakarta and Paris, as France rethinks its alliances in the region following the collapse in September of a multibillion-dollar Australian submarine deal.

Paris was left furious by the debacle, saying it had been given no warning that Canberra was negotiating a new defence pact with the United States and Britain.

Australia is now obtaining nuclear-powered submarines as part of the new defence alliance, named Aukus, with Washington and London to counter a rising China.