Jakarta. President Prabowo Subianto and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will possibly hold pull-aside talks at the G20 South Africa Summit, as Jakarta counts down to the arrival of the French-made Rafale fighter jets. 

Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin recently met French Ambassador to Indonesia Fabien Penone on setting up the bilateral talks when their leaders fly to Johannesburg next week. South Africa will host the annual G20 Summit on Nov. 22-23, the first of its kind to take place on the African continent. 

“We discussed the opportunity for a bilateral meeting between the President of Indonesia and President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Africa, as well as several strategic agendas that need to be finalized ahead of that engagement,” Sjafrie said on Thursday evening, commenting on his talks with Penone.

According to Sjafrie, both sides are working on a so-called mutual logistics support agreement. This pact typically enables reciprocal access to military facilities for logistics support, particularly during joint exercises and peacekeeping operations.

Indonesia has ordered 42 units of the Rafale jets -- produced by the French aerospace giant Dassault Aviation. Jakarta has confirmed that the first three units of the multirole fighter aircraft will arrive in Q1 2026. More Rafale jets will eventually follow suit.

Prabowo, a retired army general, has been seeking to strengthen his country’s military with new arms and aircraft. In his first year as president, the Southeast Asian country inked a contract to buy 48 of the Turkish-made KAAN fighters.

Prabowo has reassured his South Korean counterpart Lee Jae Myung that Jakarta would not withdraw from the stalled KF-21 project. Both countries have agreed to jointly develop the jet, but Indonesia has missed the payment deadlines, prompting Jakarta to finally cut its financial contribution for fewer technology transfers. An alleged data theft involving Indonesian engineers has also led to questions of Jakarta’s commitment.

“We will continue to discuss the follow-up of the KF-21 project. Negotiations always depend on the economics, the price, and the financing scheme. Our ministers will continue discussing with your team. Our technical people will continue with this,” Prabowo told Lee Jae Myung on the sidelines of the APEC Summit a few weeks ago.

Indonesia recently made headlines after Sjafrie signaled Indonesia’s interest in acquiring China’s J-10 fighters -- a more affordable option compared to the Rafales. Sjafrie later told news agency Nikkei Asia that Indonesia was just “window-shopping”. According to the Singapore-based media CNA, a Rafale jet costs between $100 million and $120 million. The Chengdu J-10’s price tag is only one-third, standing between $30 million and $40 million.

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