Chinese J-10 fighters are only the latest items Indonesia has bought in its military spending spree—including Turkish planes, Chinese patrol boats, and even an Italian aircraft carrier.

Indonesia continues to explore ways to bolster its military—potentially including the purchase of upwards of 42 Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C “Vigorous Dragon” jet fighters in a deal valued at $9 billion. The purchase, if completed, would mark the first non-Western aircraft acquired by the Southeast Asian maritime nation.

Jakarta finalized a deal with Paris to acquire an equal number of Dassault Rafale omnirole fighters in January 2024, with deliveries set to begin early next year. It also reached a deal to buy two French Scorpene Evolved submarines, along with 13 Thales ground control radars, the Associated Press reported. The submarines will be built under license domestically in Indonesia.

In the case of the Chinese aircraft, the J-10Cs will be used, formerly operated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. If the deal is concluded, Indonesia would be the second foreign operator of the Chengdu J-10C after Pakistan, which purchased 25 of the aircraft from Beijing in late 2021. Islamabad acquired the J-10s to counter the Rafales in service with the Indian Air Force.

Indonesia could also be an early adopter of the Turkish-made TAI TF KAAN fifth-generation stealth fighter, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announcing a possible deal back in June.

The decision to purchase the Chengdu aircraft may be due to the prospect of receiving it far sooner than the Dassault Rafale fighters, as the French company faces a backlog of orders, or the KAAN, which likely won’t enter service until 2029 at the earliest. By contrast, delivery of the Vigorous Dragons could take place within months.

“They will be flying over Jakarta soon,” Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters on Wednesday.

Indonesia and China Are Negotiating Financing Options

Indonesia’s Ministry of Finance recently approved a financing plan for the Chinese-made aircraft, CM-302 cruise missiles, the export model of the YJ-12, and an undisclosed number of Chinese Type 22 (NATO designation “Houbei” class) fast attack missile boats.

It is unclear if the boats would be new, or come from the existing People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) fleet. The PLAN has operated 82 of the missile boats, the fastest ship class in service, since 2004, and Indonesia would be the first foreign operator.

The sudden arms purchases also follow reports that Jakarta had been in talks with Rome to purchase the retired aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi, the Italian Navy’s former flagship. Talks of Jakarta purchasing the retired Italian warship first surfaced in February, but it now appears that a deal could actually materialize. Rome has been actively trying to sell its former carrier, named after the Italian revolutionary and republican who contributed to the unification of Italy in the 19th century. The light carrier was retired from service last October after nearly four decades of service.

However, the J-10C would not be able to operate from the carrier, which would explain why Indonesia remains committed to the Rafale.

Why Is Indonesia Building Up Its Military?

The Indonesian Navy is already sizable, at least by hull count, with more than 245 vessels in service. However, most of these are small patrol craft, while Jakarta has just four submarines, seven frigates, and 25 corvettes. An aircraft carrier would therefore significantly increase its naval capabilities—and allow it to maintain its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and assert its claims to the disputed waters of the South China Sea.

Ironically, Indonesia primarily has disputes with China over those waters, making Beijing’s decision to sell weapons to its military somewhat self-sabotaging. Indonesia also has overlapping maritime and land claims with Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.

Jakarta has remained historically neutral in its foreign policy, but it could be looking to forge closer ties with Beijing. This balancing could be harder to maintain in the years ahead—but for now, as long as it is seeking to acquire foreign military hardware, there will likely be no shortage of eager sellers.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Shutterstock / Sanit Fuangnakhon.

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