Indonesia Close To Acquiring J-10 Fighters

INDONESIA’S defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin confirmed that the country would soon procure Chengdu J-10 multirole fighter jets, referred to as the “Vigorous Dragon” or its NATO reporting name Firebird for the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU). However, the minister did not reveal the time frame of the acquisition.

The finance minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa added that the country has enough funding to expand its fighter fleet, though it is still unclear on whether the acquisition will be funded in the coming year or beyond.

Indonesia’s intention for acquiring the J-10 was first reported in June, citing the aircraft’s relatively cheaper price and cutting edge capabilities. Media reports quoted Indonesian deputy defence minister and former Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) Air Marshal Donny Ermawan Taufanto on China’s offer of warships, weapons along with the J-10 to the country. “We have had talks with China and they offered us a lot, not just J-10, but also ships, arms, frigates.” He added that the J-10 is being evaluated for its pricing, system compatibility and after-sales support.

Furthermore, the minister said the J-10’s performance would also be taken into account, referring to the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) J-10s shooting down multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) jets recently, widely reported to have included at least one IAF Dassault Rafale which the TNI-AU will also begin operating in early 2026 after the first three of 42 Rafales will arrive in the country between February and March next year. Three more are scheduled to follow suit in April as part of a phased procurement plan. ACM Harjono added that the deliveries will continue until all aircraft are delivered.

In September, the Indonesian defence ministry’s spokesperson revealed that the TNI-AU was still reviewing the J-10 while discussions on the programme’s funding have yet to take place.

Bangladesh too was looking to acquire as many as 20 J-10s to modernise the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) and strengthen its national air defence in a deal valued at approximately US$2.2 billion which includes training, maintenance and related expenses. Bangladeshi officials said the acquisition will likely be done via a government-to-government (G2G) agreement between the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 fiscal years while payments continue in instalments over a 10-year fiscal period until 2035-2036.–shp/adj/dl (Pix:CHINAMIL)