Judul : Indonesia’s Kaan Interest no Turkish delight for KF-21
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Indonesia’s Kaan Interest no Turkish delight for KF-21
KAAN Gen V Turkiye (TAI)Jakarta’s open interest in the Turkish Aerospace (TAI) Kaan fighter further muddies Indonesia’s already murky plans for new fighters.
In a recent visit to Turkey, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a cooperation agreement on defence matters.
Subianto reportedly expressed interest in participating in the Kaan programme as well as in the development of submarines.
However impressive on paper, the twin-engined Kaan is still an unknown quantity, and it will be years before it enters service. While the aircraft had – technically – its maiden sortie in May 2024, the first Kaan to fly was not actually built as a prototype, and a full-up Kaan prototype is only set to fly in the last quarter of 2025.
At this advanced stage in the programme, it is not exactly clear what contribution Indonesia could make, apart from offering money in exchange for technology transfer, with the hope of a local variant and local production.
As it happens, Indonesia already has recent experience with funding – or, more accurately, not funding – an overseas fighter programme through its participation in the Korea Aerospace Industries KF-21. Six prototypes are undergoing a rigorous flight test campaign with the objective of a South Korean service entry in late 2026.
Indonesia was a 20% partner in the programme, but this was watered down in 2024 after Jakarta demonstrated a profound reluctance to reach into its pocket. Had Indonesia been willing to pay up, its reward would have been technology transfer, one of the six prototypes, and eventually a bespoke IF/X variant for the Indonesian air force.
As it is, negotiations between the parties saw Jakarta’s role greatly reduced in 2024, although it is still technically a KF-21 partner. It is not impossible that Subianto’s warm words for TAI’s Kaan are aimed at extracting additional concessions from South Korea, which places stock in leading an international development effort.
KF21 Boramae (ROKAF)In addition to money issues, Indonesia’s participation was marred by an investigation by South Korean authorities into the alleged theft of KF-21 data on a thumb drive by Indonesian technicians. FlightGlobal understands that even before the data breach the Indonesian side was frustrated by a perceived lack of technology transfer.
While the yet-to-be proven Kaan is billed as a “fifth-generation” fighter, it is broadly similar to the KF-21, which KAI bills as a “4.5”-generation jet. KF-21 funding and espionage travails aside, it is unlikely that Jakarta would seek to operate two broadly similar combat assets that would require separate sets of pilots, maintainers, and spares.
For now, all KF-21 prototypes bear both the South Korean and Indonesian flags. Given Subianto’s flirtation with the Kaan, not to mention the years of hassle around the KF-21 relationship, one might expect that the KF-21 maintainence team is prepared to literally paint Indonesia out of the programme.
Boeing may also wonder about the outlook for its long-awaited sale of 24 F-15EXs to Indonesia. In August 2023 Subianto, then the nation’s defence minister, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the jets, pending US government approvals.
But as with the KF-21, Jakarta is apparently having trouble coming up with the funding for the advanced American type.
Will the F-15EX sale transpire? The answer may well lie in how much priority Subianto places on appeasing the export-obsessed Trump administration, which has proposed big tariffs against the Southeast Asian nation.
F15 IDN (Boeing)To its credit, Indonesia has firmed orders for 42 Dassault Aviation Rafales. These aircraft will greatly enhance Indonesia’s ageing fleet of 25 Lockheed Martin F-16s and 14 Sukhoi Su-27/30s.
Still, beyond the Rafale Jakarta’s plans are unclear.
The KF-21 remains in the mix despite Jakarta’s ill-starred participation in the programme. TAI has strong engineering credentials and the Kaan could one day be a great aircraft, but service entry is years away.
The F-15EX is a superb aircraft, but it will not come cheap and may become a bargaining chip in the broader relationship between Indonesia and the USA. France, naturally, will be keen to sell more Rafales.
Given that it is the world’s fourth most populous country, is strategicaly located, and has an aerospace industry incapable of making advanced fighters, Indonesia is naturally viewed as among the world’s most important fighter markets. It can also be viewed as among the world’s most vexing.
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