According to Defense news, Air Force Lieutenant General Yusuf Jauhari, head of the Defense Agency under the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, and Mark Sears, who will serve as Vice President and fighter jet project manager of Boeing, signed a memorandum of understanding on August 21 to confirm the plan to buy 24 F-15 Eagle aircraft during the visit of Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto.
Indonesia's F-15 fighter jets will be called the F-15IDN, another version of the F-15EX, which is currently being ordered by the US Air Force. Boeing honors the F-15EX as the most powerful and modern version ever built of the F-15 series, with a digital flight control system, a new electronic warfare system, a comprehensive glass cockpit and the latest systems and software.
"We are pleased to announce our commitment to purchase an important F-15EX fighter jet for Indonesia. This state-of-the-art fighter will protect and ensure the safety of our country with advanced capabilities, Subianto said in a statement on Boeings website.
This memorandum of understanding is not a final contract, and the sale must still be approved by the US government.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ministry of Defense announced on August 23 that state-owned airline PT dir dirgantara Indonesia and US company Sikorsky, a subsidiary of lockheed Martin, have signed a deal related to the purchase and sale of the S70M Black Hawk transport helicopter.
According to this agreement, Indonesia will purchase 24 S70M helicopters, PT dirgantara Indonesia will maintain and produce the helicopter's components.
Currently, the Indonesian air force is operating 33 locomotives of lockheed-made F-16s along with 16 Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27/30 Flankers in its main combat formation, forming three different air Forces, much lower than the minimum number of 10 combat teams in 2024 as originally planned by the Indonesian Air Force.
