President Prabowo Subianto on Monday reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening its armed forces, saying the country will continue expanding its military capabilities amid rising global uncertainty, as he formally received six newly delivered French-made Rafale fighter jets and additional defense hardware for the air force.
Speaking at a ceremony at a military air base in Jakarta, Prabowo emphasized that Indonesia, which adheres to a long-standing non-aligned foreign policy, must prioritize deterrence through modernization rather than projection of power. “We must continue to improve our defense capabilities to serve as a deterrent,” he said, adding that Indonesia “does not have any interests other than protecting our own territory.”
“We observe that the global geopolitical landscape is fraught with uncertainty, and we recognize that defense is a primary prerequisite for stability,” he added.
The event marked another step in Indonesia’s ongoing effort to modernize its aging military inventory, which has long relied on a mix of legacy platforms sourced from multiple countries. During the ceremony, Prabowo inspected newly procured defense equipment, including four Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft and an Airbus A400M Atlas, according to a statement from the presidential palace.
The centerpiece of the delivery was the arrival of six Dassault Rafale jets, part of Indonesia’s broader 42-aircraft procurement agreement signed in 2022. The deal, valued at approximately $8.1 billion, was concluded under then-defense minister Prabowo himself, reflecting a long-term push to diversify Indonesia’s defense partnerships and upgrade its air combat capabilities.
A defense ministry spokesperson, Rico Ricardo Sirait, confirmed that six Rafales have now been delivered, with three arriving earlier in January and another three delivered on Monday. “The government views the strengthening of defense equipment not merely as the procurement of combat platforms, but as a strategic investment aimed at safeguarding sovereignty, national honor, and national defense readiness,” he said.
Prabowo’s remarks come at a time of heightened geopolitical tension across multiple regions, including the Middle East and Eastern Europe, which has contributed to volatility in global energy and defense markets. For Indonesia — Southeast Asia’s largest economy and a net oil importer — these shifts carry both strategic and fiscal implications.
Jakarta has repeatedly emphasized its non-aligned position in global affairs, seeking to maintain balanced relations with major powers while avoiding formal military alliances. However, defense analysts note that the scale of Indonesia’s current procurement programs signals a clear intention to strengthen deterrence capabilities, particularly in the air domain.
Indonesia’s modernization drive includes not only the Rafale program but also broader investments in transport and mobility assets. The inclusion of the Falcon 8X aircraft and the A400M Atlas reflects an effort to enhance strategic airlift capacity, command mobility, and rapid response capabilities across the archipelago’s vast geography.
Prabowo, a former military general who assumed the presidency in 2024, has made defense modernization a central pillar of his administration’s security policy. His government argues that credible deterrence is essential to maintaining sovereignty in a region marked by competing maritime claims and increasing great-power competition.
Despite strong political backing for modernization, Indonesia’s defense procurement strategy has drawn scrutiny from analysts concerned about fiscal sustainability. Rising global oil prices, partly driven by conflict in the Middle East, have placed additional pressure on Indonesia’s budget, even as the government maintains fuel subsidies to stabilize domestic prices.
Christian Guntur Lebang, a researcher at the LAB 45 think tank, questioned whether Indonesia would be able to sustain long-term payments under its current procurement commitments without drawing on emergency reserves.
“A further question is whether the government’s emergency savings will be used in this procurement process,” Lebang said. “Given the current state of the country’s finances, which are in disarray, it would certainly be unwise.”
However, government officials have consistently defended the Rafale acquisition as part of a phased and structured payment arrangement, arguing that defense modernization is a long-term strategic investment rather than a short-term expenditure burden.
The Ministry of Defense has also indicated that, while the initial contract remains in place, no immediate decision has been made regarding additional Rafale purchases beyond the 42-aircraft order. Earlier in April, Sirait stated that Indonesia was “still reviewing the idea” of further acquisitions and had not committed to a follow-up order.
Indonesia’s Rafale procurement has also attracted attention in regional defense discourse, particularly in relation to broader questions about air combat performance and platform selection. In early 2025, Chinese media reports claimed that Indonesia’s decision to acquire Rafales was being reassessed following unverified claims during Operation Sindoor, in which Pakistan allegedly reported shooting down multiple French-origin aircraft.
These reports, which remain unconfirmed by independent military sources, have been cited in some commentary questioning the cost-effectiveness and survivability of the Rafale platform in contested environments. However, defense experts and lawmakers in Indonesia have urged caution in drawing conclusions from incomplete or disputed battlefield claims.
Dave Laksono, a member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, defended the government’s procurement strategy, arguing that isolated incidents should not determine assessments of a weapons system’s overall performance.
“In modern military history, even the most advanced jets such as the F-16, F/A-18, and F-22 have experienced incidents of being shot down or crashed due to certain tactical conditions,” he said. “Therefore, the performance of the Rafale cannot be measured by just one incident that has not even been fully confirmed.”
He added that defense procurement decisions must take into account long-term capability, interoperability, and strategic requirements rather than reacting to unverified claims or isolated battlefield reports.
Indonesia’s acquisition of Rafale fighters also reflects deepening defense ties with France. During a recent meeting in Paris, President Prabowo and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in defense technology, military training, and industrial collaboration.
According to Indonesian government statements, the two leaders explored avenues for strengthening the domestic defense industry, including potential technology transfer arrangements and maintenance partnerships tied to major procurement contracts such as the Rafale program.
The involvement of Dassault Aviation in Indonesia’s modernization program is seen as part of a broader trend of Jakarta diversifying its defense suppliers, reducing reliance on a single country, and building a more resilient procurement ecosystem.
Defense analysts note that Indonesia’s approach reflects a classic hedging strategy: maintaining non-alignment while simultaneously deepening ties with multiple advanced military suppliers, including France, the United States, and other defense-exporting nations.
At its core, Indonesia’s current defense trajectory reflects a balancing act between strategic autonomy and fiscal constraint. On one hand, the government is determined to ensure that its military has credible deterrence capabilities in a rapidly evolving regional security environment. On the other, it must manage the economic implications of large-scale, long-term defense contracts.
Prabowo’s framing of defense spending as a “strategic investment” underscores the administration’s view that sovereignty and national stability depend on sustained modernization. Yet critics continue to emphasize the importance of financial discipline, transparency in procurement, and careful prioritization of capability needs.
As Indonesia continues to receive additional Rafale deliveries in the coming years under its multi-billion-dollar agreement, the program is likely to remain a focal point of both strategic planning and political debate.
For now, the government’s message remains consistent: Indonesia is not seeking confrontation, but it intends to ensure it is not vulnerable.
“We have no interests other than protecting our own territory,” Prabowo reiterated — a statement that encapsulates the country’s long-standing doctrine of non-alignment, now paired with an increasingly ambitious defense modernization agenda.
