Indonesia and Turkey sign contract for 48 KAAN fighter jets at IDEF 2025

Indonesia and Turkey have signed an implementation contract for the acquisition of 48 KAAN fighter jets, formalizing Jakarta’s commitment to become the first international customer of the Turkish fifth-generation aircraft.  

The contract was signed during the 2025 International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul on July 26, 2025. It follows the Government-to-Government (G2G) agreement signed on June 11, 2025, and confirms Indonesia’s intention not only to purchase the fighters but also to play a role in their development.  

According to Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense, the partnership includes technology transfer and the establishment of a local industrial base to support the program domestically. 

“This is a mutually beneficial partnership based on friendship,” the ministry said in a statement. “It supports joint technology development and builds the capacity of the national defense industry.” 

TF-X KAAN fighter maiden flight (Turkish Aerospace Industries)Developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), the KAAN, previously known as TF-X, is designed as a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter. Its first flight occurred in February 2024. Indonesia is expected to receive the first units in 2028, with early production models powered by General Electric F110 engines ahead of a planned switch to a Turkish-made engine in the next decade. 

Jakarta’s procurement balancing act 

The implementation of the KAAN deal comes just weeks after Indonesia and South Korea signed a restructured agreement on Jakarta’s participation in the KF-21 Boramae fighter program. That revised deal, signed during the Indo Defence 2025 expo in Jakarta, followed years of delayed payments and uncertainty over Indonesia’s financial commitment. 

Under the new terms, Indonesia’s share in the KF-21 program was reportedly reduced from 20% to around 7.5%, with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) confirming that Indonesia was beginning the administrative steps to pay its remaining obligations. If sustained, the renewed cooperation is expected to restore momentum to the joint development effort. 

Taken together, the KAAN acquisition and the restructured KF-21 partnership highlight Indonesia’s effort to diversify its fighter jet sources amid growing interest in defense industrial collaboration. Jakarta is also moving forward with a separate purchase of Rafale fighters from France. 

For Turkey, the Indonesian deal represents a major milestone in its defense export ambitions. The KAAN is the most complex indigenous aircraft the country has developed to date, and securing its first international buyer provides both financial and diplomatic validation as Ankara seeks to expand its defense footprint. The post Indonesia and Turkey sign contract for 48 KAAN fighter jets at IDEF 2025 appeared first on AeroTime.

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