Jakarta. A Russian diplomat recently revealed that Moscow was still keeping its fingers crossed that Indonesia would implement its contract purchase for Su-35 fighter jets.

In 2020, Indonesia reportedly gave up on implementing the Sukhoi Su-35 contract as the country was short in cash due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fears over US sanctions also caused Jakarta to hesitate on proceeding with the deal. A year later, the Indonesian air force revealed that Jakarta had scrapped the Su-35 jet deal in favor of US-made F-15s and France’s Rafale warplanes. In 2023, Indonesia inked a memorandum of understanding to buy 24 F-15EX fighter jets. The Defense Ministry has bought 42 Rafale jets with the first delivery expected to take place in 2026.

Russian Ambassador to Indonesia Sergei Tolchenov recently told the press that Indonesia’s purchase deal for the Su-35 fighter jets was still on despite the delays. Russia is even open to the possibility of transferring the jet technologies.

“The [purchase] contracts for the Su-35 are not terminated, but frozen. We hope that the deals will be implemented somewhere in the future. It has been many years since [the deal] got signed, so maybe there might be some changes to the conditions. Perhaps we will be able to introduce some sort of technology transfers,” Tolchenov said at a recent press briefing in Jakarta.

“Anything is possible. We are not only selling our weapons to foreign countries. We are ready to cooperate in joint production and technology transfer,” Tolchenov said.

Indonesia has recently witnessed a shift in power. Former President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo not long ago passed the presidential baton to his successor and ex-army general Prabowo Subianto. Prabowo previously served as Jokowi’s defense minister. With Prabowo’s military background, it is likely that defense cooperation will be a priority in his foreign diplomacy. Indonesia has also been intending to modernize its weapon systems.

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