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Ronny P. Sasmita
Opinion
Ronny P. Sasmita

What Indonesia’s purchase of Chinese J-10 jets means for Asian defence

The fighter jet deal is an endorsement of Chinese technology and a sign the region’s defence future will no longer be monopolised by the West

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Pakistan Air Force J-10C fighter jets perform at a rehearsal ahead of the country’s national day parade in Islamabad on March 21, 2024. Photo: AFP
Ronny P. Sasmita
Ronny P. Sasmita is a senior analyst at the Indonesia Strategic and Economics Action Institution.
Indonesia’s decision to purchase 42 Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets marks more than a military procurement; it reinforces Jakarta’s strategic outlook and signals a broader shift in Asia’s defence dynamics. Under President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia is charting a defence modernisation course that reflects both ambition and pragmatism in a multipolar world.

The deal, worth roughly US$9 billion, follows Indonesia’s earlier contracts with France for the Rafale and with Turkey for the KAAN stealth fighter. This pattern reflects a deliberate diversification strategy aimed at technological sovereignty. Prabowo’s message is clear: Indonesia’s modernisation will not depend on any single bloc.

For decades, Indonesia’s air force has relied on a mix of American F-16s, British Hawks and Russian Sukhois. The J-10 purchase is both a practical and political move: it strengthens Indonesia’s defence autonomy while acknowledging the growing sophistication of Chinese defence technology.

China’s defence industry, long dismissed as a copycat of Western design, has quietly transformed. The J-10C, developed by Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group, features an advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, digital fly-by-wire controls and the PL-15 long-range air-to-air missile – capabilities on par with Western 4.5-generation fighters.
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