Indonesia formalizes its order for 36 Rafale

2021 will, in all probability, be the year of Rafale in the military aeronautical environment. Indeed, according to the Indonesian website Airspace-Review.com, the Jakarta authorities have reportedly signed an “Initial Contract” with Dassault Aviation paving the way for branch negotiations concerning the acquisition of 36 aircraft Rafale as part of the “Come Into Force” plan (in English in the text) with the aim of signing the final contract in December 2021. Branch negotiations will focus in particular on the industrial and economic compensation package accompanying the program, Indonesian law being particularly clear and strict on this subject.

Although it is not, strictly speaking, a firm order requiring the payment of a deposit, this signature constitutes an officialization of the bilateral negotiations which take place between Paris and Jakarta, by integrating it into the legal process. import of defense equipment provided for by Indonesian legislation. The negotiations to come will still be long and difficult, as demonstrated by the program for the acquisition of a dozen Su-35s which had also reached this stage, but which got bogged down for several years on the issue of industrial compensation and economic, and ended up being postponed under the threat of American sanctions in application of CAATSA legislation. The fact remains that this is undoubtedly excellent news for Dassault Aviation and the French military aeronautics industry, which in recent months has seen numerous projects progress rapidly, since in addition to the 3 orders from Greece , Egypt and Croatia already recorded, the Rafale is apparently in a favorable position in the Swiss competition, that Dassault anticipates a probable new order for 2 additional squadrons from New Delhi, and that openings have been obtained with several other countries such as the United Arab Emirates.

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