Indonesia is weighing up a purchase of China’s J-10 fighter jets to modernize its ageing fighter fleet due to their competitive price and advanced capabilities. In a report published yesterday, Reuters news agency quoted Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto, a retired air marshal, as saying that the country was currently “evaluating” the Chinese fighter jet in terms of pricing, system compatibility, and after-sales support.
“We have had talks with China and they offered us a lot, not just J-10, but also ships, arms, frigates,” he told Reuters.
The news comes after the 4.5 generation fighter saw action during the recent clashes between India and Pakistan, following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. On May 8, Reuters reported that Pakistan used J-10 aircraft to down “at least two” Indian jets, at least one of which was a newly-acquired Rafale jet. It described this as “a major milestone for Beijing’s advanced fighter jet.” One analyst told the South China Morning Post that once the performance of the J-10 fighters was proven, “discussions among arms manufacturers and analysts about its relative advantages over France’s finest were bound to ensue.”
Indonesia’s interest in the J-10 predates the India-Pakistan conflict, Taufanto told Reuters, but he said that Indonesia would take into consideration the reports about the performance of Pakistan’s J-10 fighters.
Indonesia is in the midst of an ambitious drive to modernize its military, in particular its air force, which currently includes a mix of U.S.-made F-16 and Russian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 jets. But it has zig-zagged between various options over the past decade, reflecting both the complexity of its operational requirements and the need to avoid a heavy reliance on any one defense partner.
The Indonesian Air Force is already waiting on an order for 42 new Rafale jet fighters from the French defense manufacturer Dassault, the first of which are expected for delivery early next year. The country is also considering a purchase of U.S.-made F-15EX Eagle II jets. In 2023, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing for the potential purchase of 24 fighters, a deal valued at up to $13.9 billion. While Indonesia is reportedly cautious about the high price of the U.S. equipment, Jakarta is weighing the possibility that the purchase might “help ease trade strains and possibly ward off Donald Trump’s tariff plans,” as Bloomberg reported in April.
Boeing has also recently been on a PR offensive in Indonesia, and has sweetened the deal by committing to using 85 percent local content in the construction of the jets. This would likely appeal to an Indonesian government focused on building its domestic defense industrial capacity. However, there is also a view that becoming over-reliant on the U.S. could undermine Indonesia’s strategic autonomy over the longer term. As one Indonesian analyst wrote recently, spending billions on U.S. fighter jets to appease trade demands could leave Indonesia “vulnerable to Washington’s whims” and potentially undermine its non-aligned foreign policy doctrine.
Yesterday’s Reuters report was not the first to hint at Indonesia’s interest in China’s J-10. Last week, the defense industry publication Alert 5 reported, based on discussions with “sources familiar with the matter,” that Indonesia “plans to purchase 42 second-hand J-10 fighter aircraft from China.” It said it could also proceed with a stalled purchase of Russian Su-35 jets, which was abandoned in late 2021 due to concerns about U.S. sanctions. Citing these same sources, it said that official announcements regarding both deals “are anticipated during the Indo Defense Expo & Forum, scheduled to take place from June 11-14.”
In lieu of the Chinese, American, and Russian offerings, Indonesia could also choose to double down on the French connection. During French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit in late May, the two sides signed a defense agreement that could lead to new Indonesian orders of French military equipment, including Rafale fighter jets and Scorpène submarines. Jakarta is already the top customer of French arms in Southeast Asia.
The fact that so many different options are still in play suggests that Indonesia’s defense establishment has yet to settle on the best balance between capability, price, and strategic autonomy.