Indonesia to buy more Russian jet fighters, patrol ships
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Russian fighter plane Sukhoi Su-30MK2 is unloaded from an Antonov transport plane at the Hasanuddin Air Base in Makassar on Feb 22, 2013. Indonesia plans to buy more than a dozen Russian Sukhoi fighter jets and domestically made, missile-equipped patrol ships as part of a US$15 billion (S$18.8 billion) five-year campaign to modernise its military, defence officials said on Wednesday, March 20, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS
JAKARTA (REUTERS) - Indonesia plans to buy more than a dozen Russian Sukhoi fighter jets and domestically made, missile-equipped patrol ships as part of a US$15 billion (S$18.8 billion) five-year campaign to modernise its military, defence officials said on Wednesday.
South-east Asia's largest economy has sharply increased its defence budget since 2010 as the military looks to bolster its capacity to protect shipping lanes, ports and maritime boundaries.
Indonesia is also wary of being left behind as China, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and other Asian nations ramp up defence spending.
Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Indonesia wanted to buy a full squadron of the Sukhoi fighter jets and the patrol boats.
