Jakarta is procuring 16 dual-seat and 26 single seat Rafales, with deliveries anticipated to being by February 2026, based on Indonesian stories.
The Indonesian Air Power’s (TNI Angkatan Udara – TNI AU) first Dassault Rafale F4 made its maiden flight at Dassault’s manufacturing unit at Bordeaux-Mérignac, as confirmed by photos that appeared on-line on the night of Sep. 19, 2025. The pictures have been captured and printed on Fb by photographer Swiderek Maciejka.
The dual-seat Rafale F4, tail quantity T-0301, was additionally photographed by Maciejka whereas taxiing on the ability’s runway three days prior, on Sep. 16, presumably for floor trials forward of the Sep. 19 first take a look at flight. The brand of the Skadron Udara 12, often known as the “Black Panthers,” is seen slightly below the cover.
Each the entrance and the rear seat have been occupied. Nevertheless it’s not clear if each have been pilots from Dassault Aviation or if a pilot of the TNI AU was additionally current.
The Rafale bears a hanging two-tone grey camouflage scheme, sporting full TNI-AU colors and markings. It is without doubt one of the 42 Jakarta is procuring from Dassault in an $8.1 billion deal introduced on Feb. 10, 2022.
Of the 42, 16 are dual-seat seat jets, whereas the remaining 26 are single-seat jets, and will probably be operated by the service’s sixth Air Wing. The twelfth Air Squadron at Roesmin Nurajdin AFB, one of many sixth AW’s constituent items, would be the first one to function the French jet.
TNI AU present fleet
The French fighters will mark the retirement of Indonesia’s roughly 30 U.S.-made F-16s, 5 Russian Su-27SKM and 11 Su-30MK2 Flankers, based on figures by the Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs. The nation additionally operates 21 British-made BAE Hawk 200 as mild assault plane, as per the 2025 World Air Forces report.
Moreover, the nation has signed up for future procurement of each the South Korean KAI KF-21 Boramae and the Turkish TAI Kaan. It additionally operates six KAI T-50 Golden Eagles, designated T-50i, and, on Jul. 20, 2021, signed one other $240 million contract for six extra.
Indonesian Rafales
The primary flight of the twin-seat TNI AU Rafale got here days after Antara quoted the service’s Chief of Employees Marshal Tonny Harjono on Sep. 13, who mentioned that the primary jets are anticipated to achieve the southeast Asian nation starting in February 2026. “We plan to obtain the primary batch of three plane between February and March 2026,” adopted by a second batch in Apr. 2026, till the deliveries of 42 airframes is full, Antara added.
Harjono famous that the induction of the Rafale fighter jets “will considerably strengthen the Air Power’s protection capabilities, that are at present supported by plane such because the T-80, Hawk 100/200, Sukhoi Su-30, and F-16.” The commander additionally touched upon the “upkeep services have been ready and technicians assigned to assist Rafale operations, making certain the plane will perform correctly.”
“He expressed hope that the fighter jets would arrive on time and shortly be operated by Indonesian Air Power pilots to safeguard nationwide airspace,” additional talked about the report. Indonesia’s order for the Rafale was cut up in a first-phase procurement contract in September 2022 for six items, adopted by an August 2023 deal for 18 further items, and a 12 months later the ultimate 18, making up the 42 plane, as per head the then MoD spokesperson Brigadier Basic Edwin Adrian Sumantha.
The TNI AU additionally revealed on Fb on Aug. 11, 2025, that 4 pilots of the Pilot Coaching Batch 1 and 12 technicians have been in France on the time, receiving preliminary coaching on the Rafale below the Organizational Stage of Upkeep (OLM) Technical packages, anticipated to final till December 2025.
Led by Lt. Col. Pnb Binggi Nobel, Head of the Operations Division of Supadio Air Power Base, the bottom personnel will prepare in each lecture rooms and hangar on “vector, avionics and armaments” whereas the aviators will “deepen their information of Rafale programs and working procedures earlier than present process simulator and flight coaching phases.” The pilots will totally “grasp mission simulations and flight workout routines.”
Indonesia and France protection ties
Indonesia can also be prone to broaden its Rafale order, after Presidents Prabowo Subianto and Emmanuel Macron Jakarta and Paris signed in Could. 28 a “preliminary protection pact” via a Letter of Intent. The pact might result in “new orders of navy tools from Paris, together with Rafale jets and Scorpene submarines,” mentioned Macron as quoted by the Jakarta Submit.
“I’m delighted that the letter of intent signed right this moment might open up a brand new perspective with new orders for Rafales, Scorpenes, mild frigates,” Macron mentioned at a joint press convention with Subianto. The latter didn’t point out the brand new pact, however known as France one among Indonesia’s principal companions in upgrading navy {hardware}, together with the event of the protection trade via joint manufacturing and know-how transfers.
Jakarta has already contracted two Scorpene submarines with France’s Naval Group and 13 long-range surveillance radars from Thales, as per contracts inked in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
