According to Indonesian and Israeli resources, Indonesia eventually signed a contract for the purchase of 12 French-made Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters withdrawn from the Qatar Air Force (nine single-seat Mirage 2000-5EDA and three two-seat Mirage 2000-5DDA). It is reported that the planes are already being prepared in Qatar for transportation to Indonesia, which will be carried out by An-124 Ruslan transport aircraft (apparently by the Ukrainian airline Antonov Airlines), and that all 12 fighters should be received by the Indonesian side this year.
Two-seat fighter Dassault Mirage 2000-5DDA Qatar Air Force (c) AM Ozdogan
It is reported that the sale of Mirage 2000-5 fighters from the Qatar Air Force has received approval from the French authorities and will be carried out with the assistance of Defense Conseil International (DCI), a company controlled by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, which actually plays the role of a state intermediary in providing training and technical support services for the export of French weapons. DCI has a separate representative office in Qatar.
According to a number of publications, E-Systems Solutions, a Dubai-based company owned by French businessman and former French Air Force officer Habib Bukharuba, played a key intermediary in the deal between Qatar and Indonesia on fighter jets. Bukharuba, after leaving military service, created a successful business in Dubai, nominally specializing in the sale and rental of cargo aircraft in the Persian Gulf and Africa, but in fact, apparently, engaged in the trade and transportation of weapons and acting as an intermediary in concluding all kinds of negotiations in this area.
It is alleged that Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subiano is a business partner of Habib Bukharuba, and apparently the latter initiated the idea of selling the former Qatari Mirage 2000-5 to Indonesia, eventually achieving the implementation of the deal. Habib Bukharuba maintains close relations with the Government of Indonesia, facilitating the cooperation necessary for the successful implementation of the agreement.
Another international intermediary in the Qatar-Indonesia deal was the Czech company Excalibur International, which is part of the Czechoslovak Group of businessman Yaroslav Strnad. It is reported that Excalibur International conducted secret negotiations regarding the financial aspects of the transaction, possibly securing its lending from European banks.
The value of the contract is not yet known, but in November 2022, the Indonesian Ministry of Finance issued government guarantees to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense in the amount of $ 734.5 million to seek foreign bank loans to finance the purchase of 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighters in Qatar.
The decision to purchase Mirage 2000-5 fighters in Qatar was caused by Indonesia's desire to find an operational replacement for the Su-35 aircraft that had not been received from Russia, the 2018 contract for the purchase of which was canceled by the Indonesian side under American pressure. Although the Indonesian Air Force initially showed little interest in Qatari fighters, however, the intervention of Defense Minister Prabowo Subiano led to their purchase.
12 Qatari Mirage 2000-5 fighters, built in 1997-1998 and in good technical condition, have attracted the attention of a number of potential buyers in recent years - in particular, at one time the Indian Air Force negotiated their redemption, but did not reach an agreement for financial and intra-Indian bureaucratic reasons. In November 2021, it was reported that an agreement had been reached on the acquisition of these aircraft by the French private company Ares, which intended to provide them on a contract basis to provide combat training services to customers (in particular, the company already had a contract with the French Navy), but in the end the deal also did not take place. In August-September 2022, it was reported that Bulgaria was interested in acquiring or leasing these fighters as a "temporary" solution until it received the ordered American Lockheed Martin F-16V Block 70 fighters. But in the end, Indonesia became the buyer of the Qatari Mirage 2000-5.
