Indonesia drops Boeing F-15EX deal amid Rafale deliveries and Kaan demands
February 3, 2026
Indonesia is no longer purchasing Boeing F-15EX fighter jets as the first Dassault Rafales arrive in-country and Indonesia sets tough conditions on Turkish Kaan fighters. The F-15EXs were seen as a key part of Indonesia’s dramatic military modernisation.
Indonesia is no longer purchasing Boeing F-15EX
Indonesia has been in the news a lot recently for planning a smorgasbord of fighter jets. However, even as it was reported in January 2026 that Indonesia is interested in purchasing the Sino-Pakistani JF-17 Thunder, there are indications that it is also trimming back.
At the Singapore Airshow, Reuters reported that Bernd Peters, vice president of business development and strategy at Boeing Defense, told reporters, “In terms of our (F-15) partnership with Indonesia, it is no longer an active campaign for us.”
Boeing did not elaborate as to why the deal had been cancelled. The US State Department had previously notified Congress of the proposed sale of up to 36 F-15EX aircraft to Indonesia, and Congress did not block it.
#News: Indonesia is set to become the first export customer for the F-15EX. The Indonesian DefMin signed the MoU during his visit to #Boeing's production line in St. Louis, Missouri. InAF is planning to buy 24 F-15EXs. #avgeeks #aviation #aviationdaily #aviationnews #Indonesia pic.twitter.com/8qN9szzVbL
— Air Power (@RealAirPower1) October 6, 2023
As late as August 2025, Indonesia’s Liputan reported, “The Ministry of Defense ( Kemenhan ) confirmed that the process of purchasing 24 Boeing F-15EX fighter jets from the United States (US) is still ongoing.” It added that no contract to purchase them had been signed.
Indonesia’s plans to purchase F-15EX
In August 2023, Boeing announced that Indonesia had announced its commitment to purchase 24 F-15EX Eagle IIs from the United States. This came after Indonesia had requested to purchase the F-35, but had been denied by the US. The US instead offered the F-15EX (as the F-15IDN).
At the time, Boeing said, “There is no other fighter like the F-15 in the world, and this platform will put Indonesia at the top of air dominance capabilities.”
The F-15EX is a very capable fighter jet and is considered one of the most capable and high-end 4th-generation jets on the market. After the F-35A, it is the only frontline fighter jet that the US Air Force (and Israeli Air Force) is purchasing.
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Indonesia’s issues with Turkish Kaan as first Rafales arrive
It is unclear if Indonesia feels like it needs to prioritise its spending or if the reason is geopolitical or something else. The F-15EX has a flyaway cost higher than that of the F-35A, although its sustainment costs are lower.
As a non-aligned country, Indonesia wants to diversify its military equipment suppliers to ensure no one country has too much leverage over the country.
Indonesia has recently stated it will not accept the 48 Turkish TAI Kaans it is negotiating to purchase until they are completely free of US export controls. That would be a very tall order, as the US not only supplies the engine, but also many of the avionics and other systems.
It will not be until at least 2036 that Turkey will be able to replace the engine with a domestic engine. If Indonesia is serious about the requirement, it could all but end the Kaan procurement.
The decision to cancel the F-15EX could also be linked to the French Rafale. AGN has reported Indonesia received its first three Rafales in January. These are the first of 42 Rafales Indonesia has on order.
Separately, the French news outlet, La Tribune, has reported Indonesia is interested in purchasing up to 24 additional Rafale fighters. If that is true, Indonesia may be looking to purchase more Rafales instead of the F-15EXs.
Featured Image: Boeing
