MELBOURNE, Australia — Indonesia has committed to purchasing Boeing-made F-15 Eagle fighter jets and Sikorsky-made Black hawk helicopters.
Air Vice Marshal Yusuf Jauhari, who leads the Defense Facilities Agency inside Indonesia’s Defense Ministry, and Mark Sears, who serves as Boeing’s vp and program manager for fighters, signed a memorandum of understanding on Aug. 21 confirming plans to buy 24 F-15s. The event took place at Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, during a visit by Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.
Indonesia’s F-15s will likely be referred to as the F-15IDN jets and will likely be a version of the F-15EX, currently on order by the U.S. Air Force. Boeing touts the F-15EX as essentially the most advanced version of the F-15 ever built, with digital fly-by-wire flight controls, a brand new electronic warfare system, an all-glass digital cockpit, and the newest mission systems and software capabilities.
“We’re pleased to announce our commitment to obtain the critical F-15EX fighter capability for Indonesia,” Subianto said in a press release on Boeing’s website. “This state-of-the-art fighter will protect and secure our nation with its advanced capabilities.”
The memorandum doesn’t function a finalized contract, and the sale continues to be subject to U.S. government approval.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Defense Ministry announced Aug. 23 that the state-owned aerospace company PT Dirgantara Indonesia and the American firm Lockheed Martin signed an agreement related to the S-70M Black Hawk transport helicopter. Sikorsky is a subsidiary of Lockheed.
The agreement will see Indonesia acquire 24 S-70Ms, and PT Dirgantara Indonesia undertake the sustainment and manufacturing of helicopter components.
Indonesia has an ongoing need for brand new combat aircraft because it seeks to raised defend the airspace of its estimated 18,000 islands that stretch from the west of Singapore to the western half of Recent Guinea. Indonesia already has a contract to purchase 24 French-made Dassault Rafale fighters, and is in search of 18 more. The Air Force also cut a deal to amass 12 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 jets from Qatar as a stopgap measure.
The service is currently operating 33 Lockheed-made F-16s alongside 16 Russian Sukhoi Su-27/30 Flankers as its primary combat fleet, making up 3 different squadrons. This is way wanting the Air Force’s minimum essential force of 10 fighter squadrons originally planned for 2024.
Mike Yeo is the Asia correspondent for Defense News.