JAKARTA, INDONESIA — Indonesia frees up funds to acquire new French fighter jets, sources say. A new tranche of 18 Rafale is due to come into effect soon. Indonesia signed a contract in February 2022 to acquire 42 Rafales. Jakarta may acquire an additional 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighters from Qatar, according to people familiar with the matter.
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That’s good news for Dassault Aviation, which reports its 2022 annual results this Thursday. Indonesia has budgeted for the acquisition of 18 new Rafales after the first six enter service in 2022 [about $1.3 billion], sources said.
“We will bring Rafale fighter jets from France,” Defense Minister Mr. Prabowo Subianto announced on Wednesday at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base. The final tranche [18 aircraft] could go into effect before the end of the year, or perhaps creep into early 2024.
For Dassault Aviation, the entry into force of this tranche must happen before the presidential elections in Indonesia, scheduled for February 2024. So it is a real race against time, analysts say.
The Dassault Rafale enjoys international interest, despite American dominance of Fighting Falcon sales. Very often the Rafale, which is 4+ generation, is preferred as a budget solution in countries that cannot afford a fifth-generation fighter. The French Rafale, although not stealthy, is one of the best fighters in the world, armed with the best air-to-air missile in the world – the MBDA Meteor.
10,000 hours with Rafale
BulgarianMilitary.com recalls that it already has a foreign Rafale customer who has reached 10,000 flight hours with the French fighter. This is the Egyptian Air Force.
“Egypt chose the Rafale, which it recognized as a unique ‘game changer’, to ensure its role as a key player on the regional and international stage under full sovereignty, in a demanding geopolitical context. This celebration of the Rafale’s 10,000 flight hours salutes the great prowess of the Egyptian Air Force, and the superiority of the Rafale and honors Dassault Aviation, which maintains a strong relationship with Egypt based on trust and cooperation. a commitment of nearly 50 years,” said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
The Egyptian Air Force currently flies 24 Dassault Rafales. Another 30 French fighters have been ordered from Cairo. Egyptian operates two types of Rafale – Rafale DM which is a two-seater version and Rafale EM which is a single-seat version.
More about Rafale
For the first time, the French presented Rafale to the general public in 2001. Before that, the prototypes make several test flights. In addition to France and Egypt, Croatia, Qatar, Greece, India, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates also operate with them.
Rafale has max takeoff weight: of 24,500 kg [54,013 lb]. The maximum speed at which it can fly is 1,912 km/h [1,188 mph, 1,032 kn] or Mach 1.8 at high altitudes. At a lower altitude, however, its speed is different – 1,390 km/h, 860 mph, 750 kn, or Mach 1.1. The maximum combat range of the aircraft is 1,850 km.
The Rafale is armed with air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-radiation missiles, as well as various types of bombs. Apart from the French, some other Rafale export versions also carry the world’s best air-to-air missile – the MBDA Meteor.
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