Six New Indonesian Weapon Systems Range from Fighter Jets to Meteor Missiles, Here’s the Overview
Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto has handed over a number of new main weapon systems (alutsista) to the Indonesian National Armed Forces Headquarters for use by the Indonesian Air Force on Monday, 18 May 2026. The new systems include six Dassault Rafale fighter jets, an Airbus A400M transport aircraft, four Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft, Meteor missiles (Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range), AASM Hammer smart weapon, and the GM403 GCI radar.
What are the specifications and capabilities of these new weapon systems? Here is the overview:
- Dassault Rafale
The fourth-and-a-half generation fighter has a length of 10.30 metres, a wingspan of 10.90 metres, and a height of 5.30 metres. With those dimensions, the aircraft can accelerate to a maximum speed of Mach 1.8 and reach altitudes up to 50,000 feet.
That speed and altitude capability is achieved because the aircraft is equipped with Snecma M88 engines, each capable of producing thrust up to kN (kilonewtons) and kN with afterburner.
The aircraft can also carry weapons weighing up to 9,500 kilograms on 14 hardpoints. The government has purchased 42 of these aircraft and to date six have arrived in Indonesia. The six Rafale fighters are currently based at Skadron 12, Lanud Roesmin Nurjadin, Pekanbaru, Riau.
- Airbus A400M transport aircraft
The largest transport aircraft owned by Indonesia plays a vital role in both military operations and humanitarian missions. In humanitarian missions, this transport can be used as a mass logistics carrier for disaster relief, as a hospital aircraft, or for carrying heavy equipment for evacuation.
For military operations, it can support airborne operations, deliver combat logistics, and transport tactical wheeled vehicles (rantis) for soldiers.
The aircraft has a cargo bay volume of 340 square metres and a cross-sectional area of 4x4 square metres. Payload capacity can reach 47 tonnes with a maximum of 166 personnel and various rantis.
With that weight, the aircraft can still fly at a maximum speed of 0.72 Mach (about 780 km/h), reach a height of 40,000 feet, and range up to 8,900 km.
All of this is possible thanks to four Europrop International TP400-D6 turboprop engines, each capable of delivering up to 10,838 horsepower.
- Dassault Falcon 8X
This aircraft shares origins with Rafale, from the same French manufacturer. The business jet, long-range variant, has a maximum range of 11,945 kilometres without refuelling.
With three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D engines, the aircraft with a capacity of 13 to 16 passengers can fly at a maximum speed of Mach 0.80.