Latest news with #F-15EX
The Star
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Erdogan says Indonesia to buy nearly 50 fighter jets from Turkey
ISTANBUL: Turkey will sell 48 fighter jets to Indonesia in the coming decade, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, as Ankara pushes to build its defence industry and increase exports of military hardware. The agreement to sell the Kaan fifth-generation planes, which Turkey is still developing, is a "record-breaking' military deal for the country, Erdogan said, without disclosing financial details. It "clearly reflects the progress and capabilities of our domestic and national defence industry,' he added. A spokesperson for Indonesia's defence ministry didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. President Prabowo Subianto's office said he witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on fifth-generation jet procurement, without providing further details. Amid a global rise in defence spending, driven in part by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, Turkey boosted such expenditure by 12 per cent last year to US$25 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. As well as the Kaan project, Erdogan wants Turkey to be a leader in the fields of drones and armoured vehicles. Turkey has been trying to develop Kaan jets - which flew for the first time last year - with other countries including Saudi Arabia, Bloomberg has reported. Ankara has also asked for US permission to make GE Aerospace F110 engines, which power the twin-engined Kaan warplane. Indonesia, South-East Asia's largest economy, is diversifying military partnerships beyond its traditional allies in the West, exploring cooperation with countries such as Turkey and China as part of President Prabowo's push to strengthen the armed forces. Turkey and Indonesia have deepened their military ties recently. In April, they said they will establish a joint venture between their strategic defence companies, partly to develop submarines. The Kaan deal with Turkey comes shortly after Indonesia revealed that China had offered to sell it J-10 fighter jets - aircraft recently battle-tested in Pakistan's clashes with India over Kashmir. Indonesia's plans to modernise its fighter fleet haven't always gone smoothly. In 2023, under Prabowo's leadership as defence minister, Jakarta signed a preliminary deal with Boeing Co. for 24 F-15EX jets but it hasn't yet been finalised. Budget limitations also present a potential hurdle. Indonesia allocated about US$8.2 billion to its military last year, with more than a quarter of that for upgrades to equipment and infrastructure. Major acquisitions such as fighter jets are typically funded through a separate foreign loans programme, which had a five-year budget of US25 billion through 2024. Indonesia already has an active contract with France's Dassault Aviation SA for 42 Rafale jets, signed in 2022 with an estimated value of US$8.1 billion. The country is also a partner in South Korea's KF-21 fighter jet programme, aimed at producing a next-generation supersonic aircraft. - Bloomberg
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US Congress seeks to boost Navy and Air Force fleets in 2026 bill
By Mike Stone WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The House Appropriations Committee's Defense subcommittee released its draft bill for fiscal-year 2026 late on Tuesday, which aims to buy one additional F-35 jet versus the Pentagon's 2025 budget request and make investments in naval vessels, and missile defenses. The powerful committee's draft of its version of the 2026 purchasing bill was released ahead of any formal input from the Trump administration's Pentagon - which has been delayed. The language in the bill shows the Republican-controlled Congress' continued focus on modernizing the U.S. armed forces but sets up a tug of war with the Pentagon over what could be conflicting priorities. The bill, which still needs input from the full House and Senate, directs the Pentagon to buy 69 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters for $8.5 billion, 15 Boeing KC-46 aerial refueling tankers for $2.7 billion, and three F-15EX aircraft for $345 million as well as $3.8 billion in funding for Northrop Grumman's B-21 stealth bomber program. The Pentagon's 2026 budget request, which has not been released, requests 47 F-35s, according to media reports. The Navy's non-fighter aviation procurement includes four E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for $1.2 billion and 19 CH-53K heavy transport helicopters for $2 billion. The bill also emphasizes missile defense, with approximately $13 billion to Missile Defense Agency and the Space Force program's support of the "Golden Dome" initiative. This money would be above the approximately $25 billion that Congress has earmarked for Golden Dome in its reconciliation bill. The committee's draft bill would also give military personnel a 3.8% increase in basic pay, effective January 1, 2026. The bill directs the Pentagon to procure 28 naval vessels, including two Virginia-class submarines made by General Dynamics at $6.2 billion. The Columbia-class submarine program would receive $5.3 billion. Both programs have additional funding for advance procurement underscoring the strategic importance of the United States' underwater fleet. Surface fleet additions would include two DDG-51 destroyers, refueling ships, towing and rescue ships and surveillance vessels.
AllAfrica
06-06-2025
- Business
- AllAfrica
Indonesia torn between China's J-10 and US F-15EX
Indonesia's fighter jet dilemma pits cost, capability, and geopolitical leverage as it weighs China's now-battle-tested J-10s against pricier Western rivals. This month, Reuters reported that Indonesia is evaluating the potential acquisition of China's J-10 fighter jets, weighing their affordability and advanced capabilities against other options, including the US-made F-15EX. Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto confirmed that discussions are ongoing with China, which has also reportedly pitched naval vessels and armaments. Indonesia's evaluation considers system compatibility, after-sales support and pricing. The deliberations follow Indonesia's broader military modernization push, which saw the 2022 purchase of 42 French Rafale jets worth US$8.1 billion. Six Rafales are expected to be delivered next year. While Indonesia's interest in the J-10 predates recent India-Pakistan air skirmishes, Pakistan's use of J-10s to down at least one Indian-flown Rafale has added a new dimension to Jakarta's evaluation. Meanwhile, Indonesia is still mulling its planned F-15EX purchase, with questions rising around the $8 billion price tag for 24 jets. France remains a contender, with President Emmanuel Macron's recent visit to Indonesia resulting in a preliminary defense pact that could lead to further Rafale acquisitions. Taufanto emphasized Indonesia's budget constraints and strategic options, noting ongoing assessments of multiple offers. Highlighting the J-10's capabilities, Justin Bronk notes in an October 2020 report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) that the J-10 is China's response to the US F-16 and Swedish Gripen, offering comparable capabilities at a significantly lower acquisition cost. 'Think of the J-10C as roughly equivalent to a late-model F-16, but with some features, like its long-range missile suite, that could give it the edge in certain scenarios,' says David Jordan, a senior lecturer in defense studies at King's College London, in a May 2025 Business Insider article. 'You may well see a very viable competitor to Western products entering contests for the purchase of new fighter aircraft,' says Jordan. However, no matter how capable the J-10 may be on paper, Indonesia's chronic procurement dysfunction, underfunding, weak institutional support and fragmented planning raise serious questions about its ability to field any advanced fighter effectively. 'Indonesia's air force modernization and fleet recapitalization has been marred with multiple challenges, including lack of funding, lack of government commitment, as well as inefficient and highly personalized acquisition policy,' says Olli Suorsa in a March 2021 S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) report. For Indonesia's cash-strapped air force, which by all accounts is in serious need of modernization, the J-10 presents a compelling case. However, Indonesia may be proceeding with caution before making its move. Dave Laksono, a senior member of Indonesia's House of Representatives, said that 'unverified claims in conflict zones cannot be used as the sole basis for assessing the effectiveness or failure of a particular weapons system,' according to a May 2025 Defense Security Asia report. 'Even the most advanced jets, such as the F-16, F/A-18, and F-22, have experienced incidents of being shot down or crashed due to certain tactical conditions,' says Laksono. Further, Alfin Bansundoro notes in a June 2024 East Asia Forum article that while Indonesia has previously purchased Chinese weapons, such as CH-4B drones, C-705 and C-802 anti-ship missiles, and TD-2000B self-propelled air defense systems, bilateral territorial disputes over the Natuna Islands cast doubt on future purchases from China. Bansundoro points out that China has sold downgraded weapons to Indonesia several times, mentioning that the former sold the export version of the C-802, known as the YJ-83, which has a reduced range. In addition, he says Indonesia runs the risk of jeopardizing purchases from Western partners if it pushes through with acquiring Chinese weapons, emphasizing the risk of Western economic weaponization. However, Evan Laksmana warns in a May 2024 article for the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) that without a well-institutionalized defense partnership, Indonesia's long-term relationship with China will lack strategic heft and balance. Beyond military cooperation, such arms deals often bleed into economic diplomacy. Fighter jets can act as entry points for deeper bilateral entanglements, requiring long-term cooperation in training, maintenance and logistics. Jake Rinaldi argues in a November 2024 article for the US Army War College that China often pairs arms sales with economic perks, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), of which Indonesia is a member. In the Indonesian context, Rinaldi notes that China's arms sales may aim to establish relationships with senior civilian and military leaders, thereby expanding diplomatic and strategic influence. Pointing out the quid pro quo between China and Indonesia, Oene Marseille and other writers mention in a November 2024 article for CDR Essential Intelligence that China has financed major projects, including the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, in exchange for strengthened economic ties. In return, Marseille and others state that Indonesia provides China with access to crucial resources, particularly nickel, for electric vehicle production. However, they note that while Indonesia benefits from economic modernization, China leverages these projects to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, intertwining trade with strategic leverage, while Indonesia cautiously balances partnerships. Although Indonesia has planned to purchase F-15EX jets from the US, a decision to purchase them, like a potential acquisition of China's J-10s, may be driven more by political and economic considerations than by Indonesia's actual defense requirements. An April 2023 D-Insights article reports that Indonesia's plan to purchase F-15EX jets from the US is likely to fail due to cost, as the aircraft are too expensive for the country's limited defense budget. Similar budget issues have strained Indonesia's past cooperation with South Korea on next-generation fighter projects, including delayed payments and alleged data leaks, as reported by the Korean JoongAng Daily in May 2025. D-Insights posits that Indonesia may have raised the possibility of F-15EX purchases to keep good relations with the US, ultimately making it a political gesture more than anything else. Even if driven by politics, Indonesia may still attempt to extract tangible benefits from potential F-15EX purchases. Aryojati Ardipandanto argues in an April 2025 article for Info Singkat that Indonesia could use F-15EX purchases to negotiate the 32% 'reciprocal' tariffs Donald Trump imposed on the country in April and has since paused. Ardipandanto says Indonesia needs the F-15EX as part of its defense diplomacy to blunt the effects of US tariffs on its micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), considering the possibility of layoffs in Indonesian companies that export to the US. Whichever jet Indonesia chooses, the decision will have far-reaching consequences, shaping its defense posture, great power alignments and the price it pays for sovereignty.
Express Tribune
05-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Indonesia mulls buying China's J-10 jets
Indonesia is weighing buying China's J-10 fighter jets, given their relatively cheaper price and advanced capability, as it also considers finalising a purchase of US-made F-15EX jets, a senior official said on Wednesday. Southeast Asia's most populous country has in recent years embarked on efforts to modernise its ageing military hardware. In 2022 it bought 42 French Rafale jets worth $8.1 billion, six of which will be delivered next year. "We have had talks with China and they offered us a lot, not just J-10, but also ships, arms, frigates," said Deputy Defence Minister and retired Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto. "We're evaluating J-10," Taufanto said, adding that Jakarta was reviewing system compatibility and after-sales support as well as pricing. A potential purchase has been considered for over a year, before the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, but Taufanto said Indonesia would factor in reports that a Pakistani J-10 plane shot down multiple Indian jets last month. Jakarta also continues to consider whether to proceed with the next step for its purchase of F-15EX fighters, he said, following the defence ministry's deal with planemaker Boeing for the sale in 2023. Taufanto said the US jets' capabilities were well recorded, but suggested the offered price of $8 billion for 24 planes remained in question. French President Emmanuel Macron said after meeting Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta last week that they had signed a preliminary defence pact that could lead to new orders of French hardware including Rafale jets. "We're considering (France's) offer. We're considering our own budget, we're evaluating, especially given we have other options like J-10, F-15," Taufanto said.
Express Tribune
04-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Indonesia eyes J-10s from China, questions $8b US F-15EX deal
Indonesia is weighing buying China's J-10 fighter jets, given their relatively cheaper price and advanced capability, as it also considers finalising a purchase of US-made F-15EX jets, a senior official said on Wednesday. Southeast Asia's most populous country has in recent years embarked on efforts to modernise its ageing military hardware. In 2022 it bought 42 French Rafale jets worth $8.1 billion, six of which will be delivered next year. "We have had talks with China and they offered us a lot, not just J-10, but also ships, arms, frigates," said Deputy Defence Minister and retired Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto. "We're evaluating J-10," Taufanto said, adding that Jakarta was reviewing system compatibility and after-sales support as well as pricing. Read more: Indonesia's $8.1b Rafale deal questioned after Pakistan downs Indian jets A potential purchase has been considered for over a year, before the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, but Taufanto said Indonesia would factor in reports that a Pakistani J-10 plane shot down multiple Indian jets last month. Jakarta also continues to consider whether to proceed with the next step for its purchase of F-15EX fighters, he said, following the defence ministry's deal with planemaker Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab for the sale in 2023. Taufanto said the US jets' capabilities were well recorded, but suggested the offered price of $8 billion for 24 planes remained in question. French President Emmanuel Macron said after meeting Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta last week that they had signed a preliminary defence pact that could lead to new orders of French hardware including Rafale jets. "We're considering (France's) offer. We're considering our own budget, we're evaluating, especially given we have other options like J-10, F-15," Taufanto said.
