Indonesia signs Letter of Intent to close in on Leonardo M-346 order

BELFAST — Indonesia and Italian manufacturer Leonardo signed an agreement at the Singapore Airshow today to support the southeast Asian nation’s ambition of acquiring M-346 F Block 20 fighter aircraft.

Leonardo said in a statement that the new Letter of Intent (LoI) with Jakarta and local firm PT ESystem Solutions comes after “the selection of the M-346 by the [Ministry of Defense] to respond to Indonesia’s training and combat capability needs.”

Additionally, noted the manufacturer, the program will assist with Indonesia’s “aircraft fleet modernization plan leveraging on the M-346 advanced technology and performance” leading to the replacement of aging aircraft such as the BAE Systems Hawk “among others.” Key elements of the LOI cover localization items like support, maintenance, and overhaul, alongside training capabilities.

“The parties will now move into the next stage of discussions, intended to achieve a procurement contract signing soon,” added Leonardo. A possible aircraft quantity set for order was not disclosed.

Equipped on the M-346F Block 20 configuration is a cockpit fitted with a Large Area Display, active electronically scanned radar, a Link 16 data-link, electronic countermeasures and new weapon systems, according to the manufacturer.

It claims the multi-role aircraft can support simulated air-to-air and air-to-surface operations through the integration of “advanced mission systems, equipment and sensors.”

The European company has sold almost 160 M-346 aircraft across the world, with 20 countries operating the platform for training purposes or as a light fighter.

Indonesia’s push toward an order comes after Leonardo secured a contract in December 2025 with the Italian Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness for the supply of 12 M-346 planes to Austria.

Elsewhere, as Breaking Defense reported on Tuesday, Boeing has ended interest in selling F-15EX fighter jets to Indonesia, despite a 2023 agreement in place for a possible sale of “up to 24” aircraft. Indecision on the part of Jakarta to not formalize a deal, appears to have played a role in Boeing changing course.

Indonesian interest in potentially acquiring at least 42 Chinese J-10 fighter aircraft has left analysts flummoxed in recent months, especially in light of past pledges related to buying South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae and Turkey’s TAI Kaan.