Recently, there is news that Indonesia is seriously considering purchasing China-made J-10 fighters. Various signs indicate that this is not just a fleeting idea of the Indonesian side, but a well-considered decision.
According to reports from the South China Morning Post and the Indonesian state news agency Antara, Indonesia's Deputy Defense Minister Donny Elmarwan Tavanto clearly stated that the J-10 fighter "meets our standards and is reasonably priced." This statement is not groundless. In the recent India-Pakistan conflict, the J-10C fighter performed excellently, successfully shooting down multiple Indian jet fighters including the French-made Rafale, demonstrating strong combat capabilities. Such outstanding performance in actual combat has made the Indonesian military have a deeper understanding and high recognition of the performance of the J-10C.
Indonesian sources revealed that during the visit of Air Force Commander Major General Muhammad Toni Hachorrohano to the Chinese arms expo, China proposed the sale of J-10 jets. After evaluation by Deputy Minister Tavanto, he believed that the aircraft performance was excellent, with price advantages as well as meeting the standards of the Indonesian Air Force. However, he also pointed out that when purchasing defense equipment, Indonesia needs to consider many other factors, one of which is how to integrate new aircraft with existing equipment in the air force.
In fact, Indonesia's cooperation with China in the military field has long been established and is becoming increasingly close. Earlier this year, Indonesia's Defense Minister visited Beijing and met with Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission General Zhang Youxia. Both sides promised to strengthen military cooperation. Last November, the two countries held the "Peace Eagle-2024" joint exercise, which not only deepened practical cooperation between the two militaries and enhanced joint operational capabilities of the troops, but also laid a good foundation for further cooperation in military equipment between both sides.
The J-10 fighter entered service with the Chinese Air Force in 2003. After years of development and improvement, its most modern version, the J-10C, is the most capable 3.5-generation fighter. The J-10C is equipped with more advanced engines, PL-15 missiles, and active electronically scanned array radars, possessing the capability for coordinated system operations, multi-target beyond-visual-range attacks in strong electromagnetic interference environments, and multi-mode precise ground strikes. These advanced features make the J-10C highly competitive in the international arms market.
Currently, Pakistan is the only country other than China using the J-10 fighter. At last month's Langkawi Aerospace Exhibition in Malaysia, the appearance of the J-10 fighter attracted attention from delegations of many Southeast Asian countries. Egypt also expressed interest after a joint exercise last month. As an important country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia's purchase intention for the J-10 fighter is undoubtedly another affirmation of the performance and quality of China's fighter jets.
From the domestic situation in Indonesia, the public and legislators are paying attention to and discussing the purchase of J-10 fighters to varying degrees. Some netizens believe that after hearing that the "Rafale" may be shot down by much cheaper J-10s, they hope the government will buy some J-10 fighters and other Chinese military equipment to balance the main combat equipment of the Indonesian Air Force. Although some legislators mentioned that the purchase decision needs to take into account various factors comprehensively, the excellent performance of the J-10 fighter in the India-Pakistan conflict and its cost-performance advantage have already made the Indonesian government seriously consider this fighter plane in military procurement decisions.
In summary, Indonesia's consideration to purchase China-made J-10 fighters is based on recognition of the fighter's performance, price considerations, and the increasingly close military cooperation between the two countries, among other factors. This decision seems to be becoming more serious, and it is worth our continued attention.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514501208464310819/
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