Washington approves sale of 36 F-15 fighter jets to Indonesia

U.S on Thursday approved the sale of 36 F-15 fighter jets to Indonesia for $14 billion, the State Department reported, at a time Jakarta announced an order for 42 Rafales from France.

This sale, if confirmed, “will improve the security of an important regional partner that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Asia-Pacific region,” US diplomacy specified, without mentioning China, whose rise Washington is trying to counter.

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Indonesia, which wants to modernize its military in the face of China’s growing influence, has shown a desire to purchase 36 Boeing F-15s, complete with navigation, radar and missile equipment, according to the State Department statement.

“It is vital to the national interests of the United States to help Indonesia develop and maintain a strong self-defense capability,” Washington added.

Jakarta announced last year its intention to modernize its forces, for an initial amount of 125,000 million dollars, and expressed its interest in both the French Rafale and the American F-15.

On Thursday, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto announced an agreement to purchase 42 Rafale aircraft.

The Indonesian air force, which has aging equipment, essentially US F-16s and Russian Sukhoï Su-27s and Su-30s, is negotiating with multiple partners to refurbish its fighter jets.

This is because a contract signed in 2018 between Indonesia and Russia for the purchase of 11 Sukhoï Su-35 fighter planes never materialized, due to the US Caatsa law, which provides automatic sanctions for the country that concludes a “significant transaction” with the Russian arms sector.

Jakarta is also participating in a research and development project with South Korea for the KF-21 fighter jet.

Indonesia opposes Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, particularly around the Natuna Islands, where Jakarta regularly protests Chinese fishing boat incursions into its territorial waters.

China claims almost all of the South China Sea, which is opposed by neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan or Indonesia.

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Source: Elcomercio

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