Indonesia no closer to purchase of Chinese fighter jets: defence minister
The country has been exploring a range of fighter jet options
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[KUALA LUMPUR] Indonesia’s top defence official said the country is no closer to the purchase of Chinese J-10 fighter jets after previously signalling otherwise.
“Not finished – we are window shopping,” Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told Bloomberg News on the sidelines of a regional security conference in Kuala Lumpur when asked on Friday (Oct 31) about a possible deal.
As a country “free and active, we can go everywhere to see which one is efficient, not expensive – and no requirement,” he said. “We are still considering.”
The minister signalled this month the country’s military was nearing a deal to acquire Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets, after officials have said they were considering a first purchase of the battle-tested aircraft to modernise the armed forces.
No further details were provided by the official. It remains unclear how many aircraft are under consideration, and at what price.
Under President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia has been exploring a range of fighter jet options from both traditional defence partners and new suppliers, though it appears little progress has been made.
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Indonesian officials said this year one option is to review reviving plans to acquire the costly F-15EX fighter jets from Boeing.
The minister made the remarks as he was leaving a bilateral meeting with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. He told Bloomberg they discussed ways to bolster defence cooperation, including through their flagship multinational military exercise “Super Garuda Shield.” BLOOMBERG
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