President Prabowo Subianto emphasized that Indonesia will continue to strengthen its national defense capabilities amid an increasingly uncertain global geopolitical situation.
The statement was made during a ceremony marking the handover of six Dassault Rafale fighter jets and a number of new defense equipment to the Indonesian Air Force.
The six aircraft are part of a contract for the purchase of a total of 42 Rafale jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation, valued at approximately US$8.1 billion, which Indonesia agreed to in 2022.
Previously, Indonesia had also received the first three Rafale units in January 2026 as the initial phase of modernizing the national combat fleet.
In his remarks, Prabowo emphasized that the strengthening of defense is being carried out as a protective and preventive measure to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty, not for the purpose of military aggression.
The event also featured the traditional sprinkling of flower water on one of the Rafale jets as a symbol of prayers for safety and good fortune for the Indonesian Air Force’s new fleet.
In addition to the Rafale jets, the government also handed over four Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft, one Airbus A400M Atlas strategic transport aircraft, Thales GM403 radar systems, Meteor missiles, and AASM Hammer smart weapons.
Most of these defense equipment procurements were part of contracts signed while Prabowo was still serving as Indonesia’s Minister of Defense.
Prabowo also stated that Indonesia has the opportunity to expand its fleet of Airbus A400M aircraft to support national logistics needs, including the distribution of humanitarian aid and the transport of heavy equipment to various regions across Indonesia.
This modernization of defense equipment is considered a crucial part of the government’s efforts to strengthen defense readiness while enhancing the operational capabilities of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in an era of evolving global security challenges.