Jakarta. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin revealed Wednesday that Indonesia would soon buy China’s Chengdu J-10 fighter jets as the country sought to upgrade its military fleet.

Sjafrie, however, did not give a time frame for when the purchase would take place, including the number of fighter jets. 

“[The J-10s] will soon fly in Jakarta,” Sjafrie said, as reported by the state news agency Antara.

His spokesman Frega Wenas Inkriwang not long ago told the press that the Indonesian Air Force was still reviewing the possible purchase of the Chengdu J-10.

“We want the best military weapons for our military,” Frega said last month.

According to Frega, the Defense Ministry has yet to discuss how much they are willing to spend to buy the Chinese medium-weight, multirole combat aircraft.

Indonesia has struck some fighter jet deals, including 42 units of the French-made Rafale aircraft. The first three Rafales are expected to arrive in Indonesia in the first quarter of 2026.

Tonny said that the Air Force already had an arsenal of fighter jets, namely the T-80, Hawk 100/200, Sukhoi Su-30, and F-16. Earlier this year, Jakarta signed the contract to acquire 48 of Turkish-made KAAN fighter jets. Indonesia is also already co-developing the combat aircraft KF-21 with South Korea.

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