Indonesia signed a deal with France Thursday to buy six Rafale warplanes as part of an anticipated total order of 42, Jakarta’s defence minister said, as Paris bolsters military ties in the Asia-Pacific.
“We agreed on the purchase of 42 Rafale. The contract signed today is for the first six, which will be followed by 36 others,” said Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto.
French Defence Minister Florence Parly, who is currently on a trip to Indonesia, confirmed in a tweet that Indonesia will order 42 Rafale fighter jets.
“It’s official: Indonesia orders 42 Rafales”, she said in a tweet on Thursday, adding that the order would make Indonesia the second state in the region to rely on the jet produced by Dassault Aviation.
Dassault Aviation said the agreement was the start of a long-term cooperation that would allow the company to quickly expand its footprint in the Pacific nation.
The agreement comes as Paris, which sees itself as a global maritime power, looks to strengthen its geopolitical relations in the Indo-Pacific in response to the formation of a new strategic alliance involving the US, the UK, and Australia.
