Jakarta. Italian defense giant Leonardo announced Tuesday that it had sealed an Indonesian order for 12 units of the M-346F Block 20 multirole light fighter aircraft.

Leonardo has joined forces with Esystem Solutions Indonesia to fulfill the Defense Ministry’s order. The contract signing followed a letter of intent unveiled in February. The Indonesian Air Force is expected to start receiving the units by 2030, but it is unclear when Leonardo plans to finish the entire delivery.

According to a press release, the contract includes plans for local maintenance and training capabilities in Indonesia. The Indonesian Air Force is expected to use the new jets to train their pilots. 

This also marks the Block 20 standard’s Asia debut after earlier launches in Europe and North America. The upgraded configuration comes with cockpits featuring a large-area display, electronic countermeasures, and new weapons systems.

“The introduction of the M-346 F in Indonesia provides clear evidence not only of the aircraft system’s inherent quality, but also of the country’s continued and yet growing trust in our capabilities across domains,” Leonardo boss Lorenzo Mariani said.

The Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to the Jakarta Globe’s request for comments on the M-346 F order.

President Prabowo Subianto —  who had a military career —  has been clear about his ambitions to build up the country’s defense capabilities. The government has allotted Rp 337 trillion($18.8 billion) in defense-related spending this year. The Defense Ministry gets Rp 187.1 trillion, with almost Rp 83.5 trillion going to military upgrades. Some sealed contracts include 48 units of the Turkey-made KAAN jets, and some 42 Rafale fighters from France.

Add as a preferred source on Google +