ANKARA: Indonesia is keen to participate in the joint development of Turkiye’s fifth-generation fighter jet, President Prabowo Subianto said after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Thursday (Apr 10).
Turkiye is the second leg of Prabowo’s Middle East tour after the United Arab Emirates, where he met its leader Mohammed Zayed Al Nahyan.
“Indonesia wants to participate in the development of the Kaan fifth-generation fighter jet and submarine development with the Turkish industry,” Prabowo said on Thursday without elaborating, as reported by Indonesian news agency Antara.
Erdogan did not not comment specifically on the fighter jets, but said both leaders had “reviewed ongoing projects and new cooperation opportunities including joint production in the defence industry”, Jakarta Globe reported.
The stealth twin-engine fighter Kaan, developed by the state-owned arms manufacturer Turkish Aerospace Industries since 2010, is designed to replace Turkiye’s F-16s and will be its first indigenous fighter jet. British aerospace firm BAE Systems is a subcontractor in the project.
Kaan’s maiden and second flights were completed in 2024 and it is set to enter production soon, with deliveries to the Turkish Air Force expected by 2028 or 2029, Antara reported.
Other countries that have expressed interest in either Kaan’s development or purchasing the aircraft include the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
In his statement on Thursday, Prabowo also announced, without elaborating, that Indonesia and Turkiye have agreed to establish a joint-venture defence company.
He was in Turkiye at Erdogan’s invitation after the latter visited Indonesia in February.
