Indonesia Close to Finalising Deal For Chinese J-10C Fighters

Defence affairs - D.S.A

The Indonesian Defence Ministry is working to finalise a deal to procure 42 Chinese J-10 fighter aircraft, as part of a landmark deal that would considerably strengthen defence ties between East Asia’s two largest countries. 

Air Force Chief Marshall Mohamad Tony Harjono mentioned the possibility of procurements on May 27, which was again raised three days later by Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun. A number of sources have reported that the Defence Ministry is interested in procuring second hand fighters, although as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force has yet to retire any of its J-10s from service, this would require the aircraft’s retirement from frontline units. 

The possibility of China retiring its older J-10A fighters early to provide them to strategically important but cash strapped foreign clients has been speculated by analysts in the past, although the recent modernisation of these fighters with enhanced ‘4+ generation’ level avionics based on those of the cutting edge J-10C may lead the PLA Air Force less willing to part with the fighters. With the J-10A fleet having now been modernised, their costs will now likely be considerably higher, although still far cheaper than procuring new J-10C fighters. The possibility also remains that the Indonesian Air Force will acquire modern J-10C fighters second hand, which could allow them to be delivered more quickly after modifications are made, and at a slightly lower cost than procuring newly built aircraft. Procurements of newly built fighters, however, also remains a distinct possibility. 

The future of the Indonesian fighter fleet has long been highly uncertain, with the Indonesian Air Force having signed a contract to procure 11 Su-35S fighters in 2018, under a deal which currently remains suspended. The country is also a partner in the South Korean-led KF-21 fifth generation fighter program, and in 2022 showed an interest in procuring the American F-15EX, although the latter fighter was expected to be too costly to finance. A plan to procure 12 Mirage 2000-5 fighters retired by the Qatar Emiri Air Force was also terminated. Orders for the J-10 would allow the service to belatedly replace its ageing F-5E/F fighters, which the Su-35 was initially intended to do. The J-10C is currently in production on a larger scale than any other fourth generation fighter in the world, with an estimated 50 being built per year. With the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force expected to continue to reduce its own procurements of the fighters, a large portion of this capacity could be allocated to meeting Indonesian orders. The fighter was previously procured by the Pakistan Air Force in 2021, with the rapid delivery of the aircraft contrasting sharply with the long delivery schedules that clients for most Western fighters have had to contend with. The possibility of expanded orders from Pakistan, and orders from new clients such as Egypt, however, could slow deliveries to Indonesia should it procure newly built aircraft.