According to a report on the Hong Kong “South China Morning Post” website on May 14, Indonesia's deal to purchase French “Rafale” fighter jets at a high price is facing questions. Earlier, Pakistan claimed to have shot down 3 Indian Air Force “Rafale” fighter jets. The news raised questions in Jakarta about the costs, capabilities, and strategic logic behind this $8.1 billion deal. Last year, Indonesia ordered 42 “Rafale” fighter jets from French aviation giant and aircraft manufacturer Dassault. In 2022, when Indonesia first placed this order, a French Ministry of Defense spokesperson told reporters that the deal was worth 8.1 billion US dollars. Last year, Indonesia also ordered two “mackerel” class attack submarines from the French Navy Group. The exact contract amount is unknown. After Pakistan claimed to have shot down India's “Rafale” fighter, some Indonesian social media users on the Internet questioned whether it would be wise to buy “Rafale”. An X platform user said last week: “As an Indonesian, I regret that we are buying a 'Rafale' fighter after learning that we can fight the 'Rafale' fighter with other cheaper fighter jets.”

According to a report on the Hong Kong “South China Morning Post” website on May 14, Indonesia's deal to purchase French “Rafale” fighter jets at a high price is facing questions. Earlier, Pakistan claimed to have shot down 3 Indian Air Force “Rafale” fighter jets. The news raised questions in Jakarta about the costs, capabilities, and strategic logic behind this $8.1 billion deal. Last year, Indonesia ordered 42 “Rafale” fighter jets from French aviation giant and aircraft manufacturer Dassault. In 2022, when Indonesia first placed this order, a French Ministry of Defense spokesperson told reporters that the deal was worth 8.1 billion US dollars. Last year, Indonesia also ordered two “mackerel” class attack submarines from the French Navy Group. The exact contract amount is unknown. After Pakistan claimed to have shot down India's “Rafale” fighter, some Indonesian social media users on the Internet questioned whether it would be wise to buy “Rafale”. An X platform user said last week: “As an Indonesian, I regret that we are buying a 'Rafale' fighter after learning that we can fight the 'Rafale' fighter with other cheaper fighter jets.”