Rafale F4 (image : defencexp)
Rafale cockpit (photo : Dassault)
The most surprising of the potential customers of the French omnirole fighter plane resurfaces in December. For the past few days, all the lights have been looking green for an upcoming order for the Dassault Aviation Rafale by Indonesia. On the other hand, this one is already announced lower than that announced by the local authorities six months ago passing from now on to between twelve and eighteen planes. These would be new planes purchased directly from the aircraft manufacturer Clodoaldien.
Since the beginning of the month, only Indonesian media specializing in aeronautics and defense have addressed the return of the Rafale F4 case. But this weekend it is the very serious French economic newspaper "La Tribune" which stuck to it. And he also confirms the information we had gleaned for a few weeks: finished the order for thirty-six planes scheduled for last June! Instead, Indonesia would have decided to revise its copy downwards, in order to meet its economic obligations.
Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara is now talking about buying between twelve and eighteen planes. These planes would allow the Indonesian Air Force to immediately replace two models of fighters it owns in small quantities: its ten General Dynamics F-16A/B Fighting Falcons and its five Sukhoi Su-27SKM Flankers. It would then be a real technological leap for the pilots of these two aircraft models as they differ from the ultramodern Dassault Aviation Rafale F4.
Indonesia insists on the fact that it wants to buy new Rafale and not second-hand like Croatia recently. Enough to allow Dassault Aviation to maintain its Mérignac assembly line even longer.
In the Asian archipelago, we insist on the fact that such an order could intervene very quickly. So much so that the option of a signature before New Year's Eve is very seriously advanced. Which would undoubtedly make 2021 the Rafale year!
TNIAU also announces that it has launched talks with Boeing around the acquisition of ten to twelve copies of its new F-15EX Eagle II air superiority fighter, currently in the testing phase within the US Air Force . Indonesian aviation intends to align the two fighter models in order to guard against the rise of Chinese power in the region.
It is true that an Indonesian fighter evolving on F-15EX Eagle II and on Rafale F4 would have a certain mouth. So to follow.