Airfield commander, Air Commodore Abdul Haris, said that the company delegates examined the airfield facilities and informed the airfield staff about the technical requirements necessary to accommodate the new fighter jets, expected to arrive in Indonesia in January 2026.
"The site survey is a crucial step to ensure all technical and logistical aspects are handled in a timely manner, from delivery to handover," the air commodore said in a written statement received on Saturday.
After the site visit, which took place on Wednesday (July 2), the French delegation concluded that Roesmin Nurjadin Airfield in Pekanbaru is ready to serve the Rafale fighter jets, he stated.
Haris affirmed that the Air Force will continue to prepare other aspects required by Dassault Aviation for the successful operation of the fighter jets.
"We presented accurate data and promptly responded to all technical requirements for the success of the incoming ferry mission and the operation of Rafale jets in Indonesia," the airfield commander stated.
Indonesia's Defense Ministry has officially purchased 42 Rafale fighter jets from French company Dassault Aviation, with production starting after the conclusion of the third purchase contract for some 18 fighter jets.
"The Defense Ministry has made effective the first procurement contract with Dassault Aviation for six fighter jet units in September 2022, and (the second contract) in August 2023 for 18 units," the ministry's then-Public Relations Bureau Head, Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha, stated in January 2024.
He confirmed that the first delivery of Rafale fighter jets to Indonesia is scheduled for early 2026.
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Translator: Walda Marison, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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