Jakarta is procuring 16 dual-seat and 26 solitary seat Rafales, with shipments anticipated to being by February 2026, according to Indonesian records.
The Indonesian Air Force’s (TNI Angkatan Udara– TNI AU) initially Dassault Rafale F 4 made its first flight at Dassault’s manufacturing facility at Bordeaux-Mérignac, as validated by images that appeared on the internet on the night of Sep. 19, 2025 The photos were recorded and published on Facebook by professional photographer Swiderek Maciejka
The twin-seat Rafale F 4, tail number T- 0301, was also photographed by Maciejka while taxiing cab on the center’s runway 3 days prior, on Sep. 16, most likely for ground trials ahead of the Sep. 19 initially test trip. The logo of the Skadron Udara 12, additionally known as the “Black Panthers,” is visible just listed below the cover.
Both the front and the rear seat were occupied. Nonetheless it is not clear if both were pilots from Dassault Aviation or if a pilot of the TNI AU was likewise existing.
The Rafale bears a striking two-tone gray camouflage plan, sporting full TNI-AU colours and markings. It is among the 42 Jakarta is procuring from Dassault in an $ 8 1 billion deal announced on Feb. 10, 2022
Of the 42, 16 are dual-seat seat jets, while the remaining 26 are single-seat jets, and will be run by the solution’s 6 th Air Wing. The 12 th Air Armada at Roesmin Nurajdin AFB, among the 6 th AW’s component units, will be the first one to operate the French jet.
TNI AU current fleet
The French fighters will mark the retired life of Indonesia’s about 30 U.S.-made F- 16 s, 5 Russian Su- 27 SKM and 11 Su- 30 MK 2 Flankers, according to numbers by the Journal of Indo-Pacific Matters The nation likewise runs 21 British-made BAE Hawk 200 as light attack airplane, according to the 2025 World Air Forces report.
Additionally, the country has signed up for future procurement of both the South Oriental KAI KF- 21 Boramae and the Turkish TAI Kaan It likewise operates six KAI T- 50 Golden Eagles, marked T- 50 i, and, on Jul. 20, 2021, signed an additional $ 240 million agreement for six even more.
Indonesian Rafales
The very first flight of the twin-seat TNI AU Rafale came days after Antara priced estimate the service’s Principal of Personnel Marshal Tonny Harjono on Sep. 13, that said that the initial jets are expected to get to the southeast Asian country starting in February 2026 “We plan to get the initial batch of three airplane in between February and March 2026,” complied with by a 2nd batch in Apr. 2026, till the shipment of 42 airframes is total, Antara added.
Harjono kept in mind that the induction of the Rafale fighter jets “will significantly strengthen the Air Force’s protection capabilities, which are presently supported by aircraft such as the T- 80, Hawk 100/ 200, Sukhoi Su- 30, and F- 16” The leader likewise touched upon the “upkeep facilities have actually been prepared and technicians assigned to support Rafale procedures, guaranteeing the aircraft will work properly.”
“He expressed hope that the boxer jets would get here promptly and soon be run by Indonesian Air Force pilots to protect nationwide airspace,” even more mentioned the record. Indonesia’s order for the Rafale was split in a first-phase procurement agreement in September 2022 for 6 devices, adhered to by an August 2023 bargain for 18 extra units, and a year later the final 18, making up the 42 airplane, according to head the then MoD spokesperson Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha.
The TNI AU likewise disclosed on Facebook on Aug. 11, 2025 , that four pilots of the Pilot Training Batch 1 and 12 service technicians were in France at the time, obtaining preliminary training on the Rafale under the Business Degree of Upkeep (OLM) Technical programs, anticipated to last until December 2025
Led by Lt. Col. Pnb Binggi Nobel, Head of the Procedures Department of Supadio Flying Force Base, the ground personnel will certainly train in both class and garage on “vector, avionics and weaponries” while the aviators will “strengthen their knowledge of Rafale systems and operating treatments before going through simulator and flight training phases.” The pilots will completely “master mission simulations and flight workouts.”
Indonesia and France defense connections
Indonesia is likewise likely to broaden its Rafale order, after Head of states Prabowo Subianto and Emmanuel Macron Jakarta and Paris signed in May. 28 a “preliminary protection deal” through a Letter of Intent. The deal could cause “new orders of army devices from Paris, including Rafale jets and Scorpene submarines,” said Macron as priced quote by the Jakarta Article
“I am thrilled that the letter of intent signed today might open a new perspective with new orders for Rafales, Scorpenes, light frigates,” Macron stated at a joint press conference with Subianto. The last did not mention the brand-new deal, yet called France one of Indonesia’s major partners in upgrading armed forces hardware, consisting of the growth of the protection industry through joint production and innovation transfers.
Jakarta has already contracted 2 Scorpene submarines with France’s Naval Group and 13 long-range monitoring radars from Thales, based on contracts inked in 2024 and 2023, respectively.