(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Boeing remains confident that Indonesia will proceed with the purchase of F-15EX fighter jets, despite currently unsettling negotiations between the two parties.
The discussions, which are ongoing, revolve around a proposed sale to be executed through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) method.
It has been reported that a delegation from the American aerospace company recently met with the Indonesian government, but no decision regarding the fighter jet purchase was reached.
“We are working to ensure that we structure the best possible deal for all parties involved,” said Rob Novotny, a senior Boeing official, at the Singapore Air Show 2024.
Given that the F-15EX sale proposal involves the Foreign Military Sales, the negotiations also include the United States government, Novotny added.
A primary issue under discussion is the financing method for the multi-billion-dollar aircraft purchase.
“I am still confident that the customer remains interested. In my opinion, the F-15EX is still the best and necessary platform for Indonesia,” Novotny stated.
However, Indonesia is reportedly facing a financial crisis, leading to the cancellation of the purchase of used Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar due to “fiscal constraints.
“This was confirmed by Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, spokesperson for Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, on TV One’s Kabar Petang program recently.
“The purchase plan for the Mirage 2000-5 jets is temporarily postponed due to Indonesia’s fiscal constraints,” he mentioned when asked about the decision to purchase the used French-manufactured jets by Dassault Aviation.
Indonesia had plans to acquire nine single-seat Mirage 2000-5 jets and three two-seat fighters, estimated to cost $797 million (RM3.6 billion).
Last August, Jakarta reportedly signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to acquire up to 24 F-15EX fighter jets.
The MoU was signed at Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, facility, which produces the F-15 and other fighter aircraft, in the presence of Prabowo.
In February 2022, the US Defense Cooperation Security Agency (DSCA) announced it had approved a potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal worth $13.9 billion (RM62.5 billion) to supply Indonesia with 36 F-15ID jets, equivalent to the US F-15EX.
The original F-15 fighter jet purchase package would include GE Aviation F100 or Pratt & Whitney F110 engines, Raytheon Intelligence & Space AN/APG-82(v)1 radar active electronically scanned array (AESA), and various other equipment and components.
Last month, Indonesia finalized the acquisition of an additional 18 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation, bringing the total number of Rafales secured by the Southeast Asian nation to 42.
The finalization follows similar processes in August last year for 18 jets and in September 2022 for six jets, totaling 42 Rafale fighters acquired by Indonesia, with the expenditure estimated at RM32 billion. — DSA