Indonesia, Boeing agree deal for sale of F-15 jets

Jakarta – Indonesia and US aircraft manufacturer Boeing have agreed to a deal for the

sale of two dozen F-15EX fighter jets

as South-east Asia’s biggest economy moves to modernise its fleet, the Indonesian defence minister said on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto on Monday witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) committing to the sale between the Indonesian air force and Boeing officials at the company’s St Louis facility.

“MOU signing commitment to purchase 24 F-15EX Fighter Aircraft Units,” Mr Subianto wrote on Instagram under an image of him witnessing the deal’s signing.

Boeing said in a statement on Monday that the deal would “put Indonesia at the top of air dominance capabilities”.

The F-15EX is the most advanced version of the fighter jet and the F-15 is used by only more than half a dozen countries globally.

Indonesia currently owns US-made F-16 jets and ageing Russian Sukhoi jets. In 2022, it

agreed to buy 42 French-made Rafale fighter jets

in an US$8.1 billion (S$11 billion) deal.

The latest F-15 sale – of which neither side has disclosed the value – is still subject to US government approval. It comes after Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin visited Jakarta in November for negotiations over the deal.

Mr Austin said he hoped Indonesia would proceed with the sale, saying it would increase interoperability with American forces and complement Jakarta’s contingent of F-16 jets.

In 2022, thousands of Indonesian and US troops

held joint military drills

as Washington and its allies expressed growing concern about China’s increasing assertiveness in the Pacific. The exercise in Indonesia, known as “Super Garuda Shield”, came after Beijing staged unprecedented war games around Taiwan, which it claims as part of its territory.

At least 4,000 American and Indonesian soldiers were joined in the two-week exercise

by forces from Australia and Singapore

– as well as Japan, which participated in the drills for the first time.

Washington said the drills were not aimed at any particular country. AFP