President Prabowo Hands Over Second Batch of Six Rafale Fighter Jets to Indonesian Air Force
President Prabowo Subianto officially handed over six units of Dassault Rafale fighter jets, the second batch, to the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, General Agus Subiyanto, at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta, on Monday (18/5). The handover of these 4.5-generation French fighter jets represents a strategic step by the government to strengthen national airspace sovereignty.
The arrival of these six units follows the delivery of the first batch of three units in January 2026. During the ceremony, President Prabowo symbolically unveiled the aircraft and performed a traditional flower water sprinkling ritual for safety, accompanied by the Air Force Chief of Staff, Marshal Mohammad Tonny Harjono.
The President emphasised that Indonesia’s military strengthening is not intended for offensive purposes. “We have no interests other than protecting our own territory. Defence is the primary requirement for stability and a guarantee that we can remain sovereign,” President Prabowo stated at the event.
In addition to the Rafale jets, the government also handed over several other advanced defence assets, including A400M MRTT tactical transport and tanker aircraft, Falcon 8X VIP transport aircraft, Ground Controlled Interception (GCI) radar systems, Smart Weapon Hammer munitions, and air defence missiles.
The Dassault Rafale is a twin-engine multirole aircraft with a delta wing design that will be stationed at Air Squadron 12, Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base, Pekanbaru. This move is expected to enhance Indonesia’s aerial strength and prestige within the regional area.
Also present at the event were Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sugiono, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Cabinet Secretary Lieutenant Colonel Teddy Indra Wijaya.
This handover is part of a total contract for 42 Rafale units signed by the Indonesian government to comprehensively modernise its air force capabilities.