Indonesia’s Sukhoi Su-35 Procurement Contract ‘Never Canceled, Remains In Effect’ – Russian Ambassador
"The contract (for the Su-35 with Indonesia) has never been canceled. It is still in progress. We will resume negotiations someday," said Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov in an interview with Jakarta Globe.
(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov emphasized that the contract to supply Su-35 fighter jets to the Southeast Asian nation has not been canceled and “remains in effect.”
“The contract (for the Su-35 with Indonesia) has never been canceled. It is still ongoing. We will resume negotiations someday,” he said in an interview with Indonesian media outlet, Jakarta Globe.
He also addressed the question of whether Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s military background would strengthen ties between Moscow and Jakarta.
The Russian ambassador expressed hope that under the new administration of President Prabowo Subianto, bilateral relations between the two countries would continue to flourish.
“I hope our defense ties will grow stronger, as they are an important aspect of our bilateral relations. We also see the Indonesian military using Russian arms, which proves that our weapons are of very high quality. If Indonesia is interested, we are ready to negotiate,” Tolchenov said.
In February 2018, Indonesia signed a contract to procure 11 Su-35 “Flanker-E” fighter jets worth USD 1.14 billion (RM 4.9 billion).
However, in March 2020, international media reported that Indonesian authorities decided to cancel the implementation of the contract due to financial constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, there were allegations that the United States had threatened to impose sanctions on Indonesia under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) if it proceeded with acquiring the Su-35 fighter jets from Russia.
Since “suspending” the procurement of the 11 Su-35 jets, Indonesia signed a contract in 2022 to acquire 42 Rafale fighter jets from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation.
The deal is estimated to cost RM32 billion.
At the same time, Jakarta has been in negotiations with the United States to procure a number of F-15EX fighter jets.
In May last year, Indonesian Ambassador to Russia Jose Tavares was quoted by the media as confirming that the contract for the procurement of 11 Su-35 fighter jets remained in force.
He stated that Jakarta was waiting for the right time to resume implementing the contract.
According to him, the implementation of the Su-35 procurement contract was delayed to avoid potential “discomfort,” believed to refer to threats of sanctions and other “pressures” from Western powers.
As widely known, Western powers have been keen for Indonesia to adopt their fighter jets and view the procurement of Su-35s as a “roadblock” to their efforts.
In 2003, Indonesia acquired 10 Su-27 fighter jets, and in 2013, the Southeast Asian nation added six Su-30Mk3 aircraft to its fleet.
— DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA
