Indonesia negotiates purchase of KF-21 Block-2 to secure production slot and prevent being overtaken
JAKARTA – Indonesia has urgently begun new negotiations to acquire South Korea’s KF‑21 Block‑2 fighter jets.
The move aims to secure a place in the production queue and avoid being overtaken by the Philippines, which is also considering the aircraft.
According to Korean media outlet Global e‑News, Indonesia’s plan to purchase 16 KF‑21 Block‑2 units was triggered by the Philippines listing the KF‑21 as a leading candidate in its multirole fighter procurement programme. This situation has pushed Indonesia to act quickly to maintain production priority.
Despite ongoing challenges in meeting its share of the aircraft development funding, Indonesia has opted for a pragmatic approach by signing a purchase contract for the available variant. This strategy, as reported by militarnyi.com on Monday (12/1), is seen as crucial for securing production slots while preserving defence cooperation with South Korea.
The KF‑21 acquisition also aligns with the Indonesian Air Force’s modernisation agenda, which previously began with the purchase of Rafale fighter jets. Beyond strengthening combat capability, Indonesia is also working to maintain defence‑industry collaboration channels, including technology transfer.
The Block‑2 variant is a further development of Block‑1, which is currently operated by the South Korean Air Force. While Block‑1 focuses on air‑to‑air missions, Block‑2 is designed as a fully multirole aircraft with ground‑attack capability, precision‑weapon integration, and enhanced radar and electronic warfare systems.
The KF‑21 itself is a joint project between South Korea and Indonesia under an 80%:20% participation scheme. South Korea has begun mass production of the aircraft through a contract with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), targeting dozens of units by 2028 and hundreds by 2032. Meanwhile, the Philippines’ interest in the KF‑21 continues to be monitored, although no official purchase decision has been made. (DH/LM)
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