Indonesia to buy 48 KAAN fighter jets

Türkiye and Indonesia have formally concluded a defense agreement for the procurement and local production of KAAN fighter jets.

The Defense Industry Agency of Türkiye (Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı) announced the signing of the commercial contract with Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense during the IDEF 2025 defense exhibition in Istanbul.

The agreement covers the delivery of 48 KAAN fighter jets, developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ), and includes all technical annexes and implementation details of the earlier government-to-government procurement deal signed on June 11, 2025.

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“This signing is not just an export move; it marks the beginning of a new era in engineering, production, and technology collaboration,” the Defense Industry Agency said in a statement. “The industrial infrastructure to be established in Indonesia will reflect our strategic depth grounded in mutual friendship.”

The commercial agreement follows a broader framework established earlier this summer under a G2G procurement model, which Turkish officials have emphasized as a cornerstone of Ankara’s growing defense export strategy. As part of the contract, a local industrial base will be created in Indonesia to support assembly and maintenance of the aircraft, aiming to strengthen long-term cooperation between the two countries.

TUSAŞ will lead the aircraft production, with Turkish engineers playing a key role in transferring critical know-how to Indonesian counterparts. In a statement posted after the signing ceremony, the Defense Industry Agency expressed gratitude to all stakeholders involved, especially TUSAŞ, for their contributions to the deal.

The KAAN jet, Türkiye’s next-generation fighter platform, is designed to provide multirole air combat capabilities with a focus on air superiority, precision strike, and survivability. The aircraft’s development is part of Ankara’s broader ambition to reduce reliance on foreign platforms and boost domestic aerospace production.

The agreement with Indonesia is the largest confirmed export deal for the KAAN platform to date and represents a key milestone for Türkiye’s defense industrial base. It also reflects Indonesia’s intent to diversify its military aviation fleet amid evolving regional security challenges.

The signing ceremony, held at the IDEF 2025 exhibition in Istanbul, was attended by senior officials from both nations, including defense procurement leadership and aerospace executives. It marked the culmination of months of negotiations and technical alignment following the initial memorandum signed in June.

The KAAN, formerly known as TF-X, has become a flagship project for Türkiye’s defense modernization, and this international deal is viewed as a major validation of the country’s aerospace ambitions. Deliveries to Indonesia are expected to begin in the early 2030s following final testing and certification phases.

Last week, the Agency also announced that Türkiye has placed an order for the sixth prototype of its indigenous KAAN fighter jet.

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