State media confirmed that Indonesia will purchase China J-10 fighter jets, and the most chilling one at that time should be France.
The information shows that three years ago, Indonesia high-profile signed 42 French "Ventil" fighter jets, the total price of $ 8.1 billion, now the wind direction mutation, this paper contract is cancelled?
“The wind” didn’t wait, the 10th was on the table.
Indonesia's statement this time is not a simple procurement decision, but a turn in strategic direction. Although Shavri's speech did not disclose the specific purchase quantity and amount, the signal it sent was very clear: Indonesia's interest in China's J-10 is no longer a rumor, but a confirmed reality.
In fact, it is not sudden behind this. Indonesia has always emphasized "diversification" in fighter procurement over the years. It is neither willing to completely turn to the West nor to become dependent on a certain country.
The French Army, the Turkish Khan, and even the KF-21, developed jointly with South Korea, are all Indonesian "multi-line chess stations" in the modernization of weapons.
But the problem is that multiple lines do not mean that every line can go to the end. The French "Rafale" was originally scheduled to deliver the first batch of six aircraft in 2026, but issues such as delivery cycles, maintenance costs, and system integration have always made the Indonesian military suspicious.
Now that China's J-10 is the first to appear, it has obviously stolen the limelight of the "Gusty Wind". It is not difficult to see that Indonesia's latest move is a realistic revision of the past arms procurement route.
What really turned this arms purchase case was the sudden India-Pakistan air battle in May 2025. In this high-intensity confrontation that lasted for several days, Chinese J-10 fighter jets used by the Pakistan Air Force successfully shot down several Indian aircraft. The Air Force's "Rafale" became the focus of the battlefield.
A real war is more convincing than any promotion conference. The "Gust" that was originally blown into the sky by the Western media has now revealed its shortcomings in actual combat, such as slow radar locking speed, limited bomb carrying capability, and low coordination efficiency with other systems. Problems such as efficiency are fully exposed.
After the air war, not only Indonesia, but several countries previously interested in the "wind" have fallen into a state of expectation, according to the Financial Times that French President Emmanuel Macron had made an emergency visit to Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore at the end of May, trying to save the situation, but the effect was not ideal.
For Indonesia, the revelation brought by the war was very direct: weapons were not watching advertisements, but looking at the battlefield, and the performance of the J-10 not only hit the opponent, but also broke the myth of the "wind" in the heart of the Indonesian military.
Cost-performance ratio is the true king, Indonesia's abacus is clear
Indonesia's selection of China's J-10 this time seems to be a sudden decision, but in fact the logic behind it is very clear: cost performance plus actual combat capability.
The single price of the French "Arsenal" is up to $ 18.5 billion, follow-up maintenance and support is a small expense, and China's J-10CE as a foreign trade model, the price is very fine, support is also more flexible, the Indonesian military after several rounds of evaluation found that the J-10 can not only fight, but also cheap, can repair, can use.
More importantly, China's "attitude" in military trade is also different from traditional Western countries, not a hammer but emphasis on system support, technology sharing and long-term collaboration, a model that is undoubtedly more attractive for Indonesia, which urgently needs to boost military power but has a limited budget.
According to the analysis of the "Wall Street Journal", the Indonesian military before the purchase of the J-10, had specifically sent a technical delegation to Pakistan, the UAE and other countries that have already equipped the J-10 for evaluation, focusing on system compatibility, use experience and after-sales service, the final report gave high appreciation to the J-10.
It can be said that Indonesia's arms purchase is not driven by emotion, but a realistic choice after careful calculation. Indonesia's purchase of the J-10 is not just a arms purchase, but also a geopolitical signal release. In the past few decades, Indonesia has almost completely relied on the purchase of fighter jets. Relying on Western countries.
Breaking convention this time and choosing China's high-end fighter jets means that China's military industry's breakthrough in the international market is no longer a "low-end substitution", but is gradually entering the mainstream competition area.
This is also an impact on the global military trade pattern. When Western masterpieces such as "Gust" are questioned and China's products win trust based on their actual combat results, who dares to say that the military trade market will always belong to Europe and the United States?
What is more noteworthy is that Indonesia's public official announcement has a very clear attitude and is not as secretive as before. This kind of open cooperation shows that China's "credibility" in military trade has been established, and customer countries are no longer worried about "political sequelae".
Experts point out that in the coming years, the J-10 is likely to rapid expansion in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa markets, while Indonesia's choice is likely to become a "trigger" for more countries to follow.
Indonesia chose China's J-10, not only to save money, but also to win in the real world, the fighter is not an exhibition, it must be able to fight, good nutrition, low cost, the French "wind" rely on fame to eat too long, and real war makes it original.
Today, Indonesia is telling the world with practical action: whoever fights, is worth buying, and this reversal of French arms purchases is just the beginning.
The rise of China's military industry does not rely on propaganda but on actual combat. In the future, more and more countries may have to re-examine whether they want "face" or "chance of success." As for France's "Rafale" fighter jets, the Indonesian side did not disclose more, but it is not difficult to see that Indonesia now likes China's equipment very much.
Source of information: Kyoto News Network