After two days of meetings in Jakarta with the Minister of the French Armed Forces, Florence Parly, the Indonesian Defence Minister, Prabowo Subianto, has announced that he has signed a contract for 6 Rafale combat aircraft built by the French company Dassault Aviation. An announcement that confirms the rumors but contains important news: it is the first tranche of an order that could reach a total of 42 aircraft.

The contract includes, in addition to the military aircraft, a package of services including: crew training, logistical support to the activity in various Indonesian air bases, the creation of a training center with two flight and mission simulators.

The military jets will be destined for the Indonesian Air Force. It is a purchase with which Jakarta aims to modernize part of the obsolete military fleet: the F-16 Fighting Falcon of the American Lockheed Martin and the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30. 

On the same subject see also the article published by AVIONEWS.