Defence Ministry Denies Signing Contract for 12 Pilatus PC-24 Jets

The Ministry of Defence has denied signing a contract for the procurement of 12 Pilatus PC-24 jet aircraft, as stated on the official website of the manufacturer. Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Rico Ricardo Sirait, said that the plan is still in the exploration stage and has not reached a final decision. “There is no budget allocation yet,” Rico said via text message on Monday, 6 April 2026. He stated that the discussion on procuring the aircraft is still limited to studying operational needs. “It is still in the operational needs study and is not yet a final decision,” he said. Previously, the official Pilatus Aircraft website mentioned that a contract signing had occurred between the Ministry of Defence and PT E-System Solutions Indonesia for the procurement of 12 PC-24 units on 31 March 2026. In that statement, the aircraft were said to be used to support transport pilot training, air transport missions, and liaison duties within the Indonesian Air Force. Based on Tempo’s investigation, the price of one PC-24 unit is estimated to range from US$11.2 million to US$13 million, or approximately Rp178 billion to Rp200 billion, depending on specifications. This aircraft is known as a versatile jet capable of operating on short or unpaved runways, with a range of up to 3,704 kilometres. However, the procurement plan has raised questions. Defence analyst Alman Helvas assessed that using the PC-24 as a pilot training aircraft is uncommon. “If for pilot training aircraft, that is uncommon,” said Alman. He suspected that the aircraft would more likely be used for VIP flight needs, although the Air Force is considered to already have sufficient VIP aircraft fleet.