Indonesia orders 12 Italian light fighter jets

Reference News Network reported on July 27 According to the U.S. Defense News weekly website on July 24, the Indonesian Air Force recently announced an agreement with Italy's Leonardo Company to order 12 M-346F Block 20 light fighter jets. This means that the Indonesian Air Force's diverse fleet will soon add a new member.

Leonardo's CEO and General Manager Lorenzo Mariani said, "Indonesia's introduction of the M-346F not only fully demonstrates the aircraft's outstanding quality but also reflects Indonesia's ongoing and increasing trust in our technological capabilities across various fields."

Leonardo stated that this arms sale "includes a range of localized support, maintenance, overhaul, and training capabilities, as well as human resource development."

Reports indicate that the Italian-made M-346 is known as an advanced jet trainer, while the M-346F is a dedicated multi-role light fighter. It is equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar, Link-16 data link, seven weapon mounting points, aerial refueling capability, and electronic warfare systems.

The first batch of fighter jets is scheduled to be delivered to Jakarta in 2030, making Indonesia the first Asian customer for the M-346F Block 20 fighter jet.

The report noted that Indonesia is currently receiving Dassault's Rafale fighter jets, but its air force fleet is mixed, including various aircraft such as the U.S. F-16, Russian Su-27/Su-30, and South Korean T-50i.

Indonesia has also invested in the development of the South Korean KF-21 fighter jet and has publicly expressed interest in Turkey's "Kaan" fighter jet.

If all these visions are realized, Indonesia may ultimately possess one of the most complex and diverse fleets of combat aircraft in the world.

Albon Shasha, head of Indonesia's Semar Sentinel Company, told reporters, "The Indonesian Armed Forces have always faced challenges related to interoperability. It is well known that Indonesia has focused on procuring various equipment from different countries as part of its diversification strategy. However, due to difficulties in achieving interoperability among all this equipment on the battlefield, its joint operational concepts are limited." (Translated by Zhu Jie)