By Niniek Karmini

Indonesia’s top defense official said Wednesday that Jakarta will acquire at least 42 Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C fighter jets, marking the country’s first non-Western aircraft purchase deal.

Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters in the capital, Jakarta, that Indonesia would soon buy fighter jets from China as part of a plan to modernize its military. Analysts said the deal could touch regional sensitivities and have geopolitical implications.

“They will be flying over Jakarta soon,” Sjamsoeddin said. He declined to provide further details of the purchase.

The plan to buy the J-10s was first disclosed last month by defense ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Frega Wenas. Local media had reported that the Indonesian Air Force was still reviewing the Chinese-made fighter jets to ensure their acquisition would effectively strengthen Indonesia’s air defense capabilities.

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa on Wednesday confirmed that his ministry had approved a budget for the purchase of the aircraft from China that reached more than $9 billion.

“So, everything should be ready,” Sadewa told reporters, “But I have to double check when those aircrafts will arrive in Jakarta from Beijing.”

Indonesia has embarked on a drive to upgrade and modernize its military arsenal and strengthen its defense industry under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration. Subianto has crisscrossed the globe since he was appointed defense minister in 2019, traveling to China, France, Russia, Turkey and the U.S. in a bid to acquire new military weapon systems and surveillance and territorial defense capabilities.

The Indonesian Air Force currently has fighter jets from countries including the U.S., Russia and Britain. Some of these aircraft need to be upgraded or replaced.

Indonesia finalized an order for 42 French Dassault Rafale fighter jets in January 2024, with the first delivery expected in early 2026. Southeast Asia’s largest economy also announced the purchase of two French Scorpene Evolved submarines and 13 Thales ground control interception radars.

Beni Sukadis, a defense analyst from the Indonesia Institute for Defense and Strategic Studies, said that despite being politically non-aligned, the government shouldn’t underestimate the geopolitical implications of its choices.

After decades of relying on Western suppliers, a major arms purchase from Beijing “could be read as a shift in Indonesia’s security orientation amid China’s growing military and diplomatic influence in Southeast Asia region,” Sukadis said.

He warned the “move could spark regional sensitivities over the South China Sea where China has direct interests.”