TSAMTO, June 16. As part of the IndoDefence 2025 exhibition in Jakarta, an agreement was signed to supply the Indonesian Air Force with 48 Kaan fighters developed by Turkish Aerospace (TAI).
The ceremony took place on June 11 in the presence of Indonesian President Prawobo Subianto and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The agreement followed an April meeting between the presidents of the two countries, during which an agreement was reached on defense cooperation, including the possibility of selling Kaan aircraft.
This is the first export contract for the supply of a Turkish fighter jet, which is still under development. According to TAI, all 48 aircraft are to be delivered within 120 months. The company did not disclose the sale price, but according to unofficial data, it is estimated at $ 10 billion.
TAI states that the agreement includes not only the supply of aircraft, but also the transfer of related technologies. It also provides for the use of Indonesia's infrastructure and production facilities for the implementation of the Kaan program. The fighter will be equipped with a Turkish-made national powerplant.
The signed agreement adds even more confusion to the plans for equipping the Indonesian Air Force. So, in 2026, deliveries of 42 Rafale fighters purchased from the French Dassault Aviation should begin for the Indonesian Air Force. On May 28, 2025, during the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Indonesia, an agreement of intent was signed, providing for the possibility of acquiring additional aircraft of this type.
In addition, Indonesia has been negotiating the purchase of F-15EX aircraft from the United States since 2022. This deal was approved by the American authorities, but it was never implemented. The Indonesian side also did not officially abandon the purchase of the Russian Su-35. Recently, there have also been reports of the Indonesian Air Force's interest in buying 42 J-10C fighters from the PLA Air Force.
In addition, the purchase agreement calls into question Jakarta's participation in the purchase program for South Korean KF-21 fighter jets. By concluding an intergovernmental agreement with the Republic of Korea in 2015, Indonesia has committed to pay 20% of the total cost of developing a fighter jet, which amounted to about 8.1 trillion by 2026. won (5.99 billion dollars). Nevertheless, the country evaded payments under various pretexts. As a result, it was decided to reduce Jakarta's contribution to 600 billion. won (440 million dollars), which is about a third of the originally agreed amount.
Taking into account all these factors, it can be assumed that the agreement signed with Turkish Aerospace for the supply of an aircraft under development for 10 years is more a political declaration of intent to develop bilateral military cooperation than a contract for the supply of an advanced weapons system. In addition, this event attracted additional attention to the IndoDefence 2025 exhibition in Jakarta.
As reported by CAMTO, the development of a promising national TF-X combat aircraft began in Turkey in 2010. The contract for the creation of the conceptual project was signed with TAI in August 2011. The development contract was signed in August 2016. Turkish manufacturers are positioning the Kaan as a fifth-generation fighter.
The initial prototype of the fighter was rolled out in March 2023. In February 2024, he took to the air for the first time. Another Kaan prototype is expected to make its first flight before the end of 2025. The Kaan development program provides for the assembly of seven prototypes for flight tests.
The fighter developed by TAI is equipped with two engines from the American company GE Aerospace, but a national engine is under development in Turkey. Given the situational cooperation with Ukraine, it cannot be ruled out that Ukrainian specialists are also involved in the project (in terms of creating a national engine).
