Jakarta. Indonesia recently inked the contract to acquire 48 of Turkish-made KAAN fighter jets as the Southeast Asian nation sought to modernize its air fleet.

The purchase contract followed an earlier memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed last month between Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Turkish Defense Industries’ secretary Haluk Gorgun. Sjafrie had jetted off to Istanbul to witness the contract signing for the fifth-generation stealth fighter jet. 

“Indonesia will not only secure high-tech military equipment, but also gain significant opportunities in developing the capacity of its domestic defense industry,” the Defense Ministry announced Monday.

The government reported that the local industrial base would be established in Indonesia without going into specifics. The ministry did not disclose the financial details, although reports show that the contract is worth around $10 billion. The jet is currently in active development by the state-run Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). According to Ankara-based news outlet Anadolu Agency, the KAAN project already has three prototypes so far, two of which will fly as of April 2026.

Defense Ministry’s spokesman Frega Wenas Inkriwinang did not immediately respond to the Jakarta Globe’s request for comment. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the freshly signed deal on the social media platform X. He talked of Turkey’s recent deals with NATO allies Germany and the UK on the acquisition of Eurofighter Typhoon jets.

“The contract envisaging the supply of 48 KAAN aircraft to Indonesia and the Eurofighter procurement agreement are extremely important for our country,” Erdogan said on Tuesday morning. 

“On one hand, we have confirmed our resolve to enhance our deterrence, and on the other hand, to bring our own projects to life,” Erdogan stated.

The Turkish politician also revealed his country managed to boost local defense production from 20 percent to over 80 percent over the past two decades.

President Prabowo Subianto first unveiled Indonesia’s interest in KAAN when he met Erdogan in Ankara a few months ago. The KAAN is also not the only shopping list on Indonesia’s air fleet. Jakarta already has a KF-21 jet deal with South Korea, a project that has faced some setbacks, including missed payment deadlines and data theft accusations. Indonesia has bought 42 Rafale fighter jets from French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation, with the first unit set to arrive in Indonesia early next year.