Indonesia received six French-made Rafale fighter jets, with the first three delivered in January 2026 and an additional three on May 18, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The deliveries are part of a $8.1 billion deal signed in 2022 by then-defence minister Prabowo Subianto for 42 Rafale aircraft [1, 2, 3, 4, 6].
On May 18, 2026, President Prabowo presided over a ceremony at a military airbase in Jakarta to formally receive the new defence equipment, which included the Rafale jets, four Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft, and one Airbus A400M Atlas transport plane [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Defence ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait said the new jets improve Indonesia’s air defence and called the modernization a "strategic investment aimed at safeguarding sovereignty, national honour and national defence readiness" [1].
President Prabowo, a former military general who assumed office in 2024, has prioritized updating Indonesia’s ageing military assets. He told reporters in Jakarta, "We must continue to improve our defence capabilities to serve as a deterrent. We do not have any interests other than protecting our own territory. We observe that the global geopolitical landscape is fraught with uncertainty, and we recognise that defence is a primary prerequisite for stability" [2].
Other new equipment receiving delivery alongside the Rafales includes a GM403 ground control intercept radar, Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles, and Hammer smart weapons to enhance detection, transport, and strike capabilities [5, 6].
In April or May 2026, President Prabowo met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris to discuss strengthening strategic cooperation, including defence procurement and industry [1, 2, 3, 4].
Separately, Indonesia’s defence minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin denied media reports claiming a letter of intent signed with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth commits Indonesia to unrestricted US military airspace access. "We made not a single commitment with the US on airspace. We uphold the constitution and our national interests," he said [7]. The US-Indonesian relationship focuses on military modernization and training and excludes equipment transfers [7].
Since Prabowo took office about 18 months ago, rights groups have raised concerns about growing government repression. Amnesty International reported online disinformation campaigns targeting critics as "foreign agents," which it says are spread by state actors and allied politicians to suppress dissent [8, 9, 10]. Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard said, "In the 18 months since Prabowo took power, online disinformation has emerged as a key tactic to systematically discredit government critics, shut down public debate and justify repression." The disinformation is amplified on platforms including Meta, TikTok, X and YouTube [9, 10]. In March 2026, activist Andrie Yunus, who criticized the military’s growing role, suffered an acid attack linked by Amnesty to this hostile environment [8, 10].
Indonesia plans further Rafale deliveries under the 2022 contract, which includes 42 aircraft in total. The May 18 ceremony was the latest milestone in President Prabowo’s military modernization agenda [1, 2, 3, 4].
