REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian government has paid off the purchase of 42 Rafale fighter jets divided in three terms. Nevertheless, the first new units will arrive in the homeland in early 2026, since it will take time to produce the advanced 4.5-generation fighter aircraft.

“The first Rafale aircraft will arrive in Indonesia at the beginning of 2026,” said the head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Defence (Ministry of Defence) Brigadier Edwin Adrian Sumantha in a press release in Jakarta on Wednesday (10/1/2024).

The Rafale warplane, he said, would arrive in Indonesia along with its armaments and supporting devices. All the new war tools are expected to significantly increase the strength and readiness of the AU military in maintaining the sovereignty of the country in the air.

Edwin explained that the Rafale is an advanced fighter aircraft that is one of the flagship aircraft of NATO member states. Rafale belongs to the category of omnirole aircraft so it is capable of performing a wide variety of missions, ranging from air superiority and air defense, close air support, in-depth attack, aerial reconnaissance, and antiship attacks.