Indonesia selects Leonardo M-346 F Block 20 to replace ageing Hawk jets
February 5, 2026
Jakarta has marked a key milestone in its quest to replace the Indonesian Air Force’s (TNI-AU’s) ageing fleet of British-made Hawk Mk 109/209 multi-role jets, confirming plans to acquire Leonardo’s M-346 F (Fighter) Block 20 aircraft to meet its renewed advanced training and light combat capability requirements.
The move was announced in a press conference during the second day of the Singapore Airshow on 4 February. During the briefing, the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Indonesia’s PT E-System Solutions (ESS) inked a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Leonardo to cooperate in the supply and support of the M-346 F Block 20s that are destined to enter operational service with the TNI-AU.
In a statement issued on 4 February, Leonardo said the LOI follows Indonesia’s selection of the M-346 to meet its advanced training and light combat requirements, positioning the aircraft as a key element of Jakarta’s wider fleet modernisation effort.
The company said the agreement also covers plans to localise elements of support, maintenance, overhaul and training in Indonesia, alongside broader human capital development initiatives. According to Leonardo, the parties will now move into detailed negotiations aimed at finalising a procurement contract in the near term.
Indonesia opts for Leonardo M-346 F Block 20 after cancelling F-15EX
Indonesia’s decision to acquire a fleet of M-346 F Block 20s comes just days after Boeing confirmed that Jakarta’s planned F-15EX purchase would no longer be going ahead.
During the opening day of the Singapore Airshow on 3 February, Bernd Peters – the vice president of Business Development and Strategy at Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDSS) – said: “In terms of our partnership with Indonesia [for the F-15EX], it is no longer an active campaign for us.”
Despite the confirmation of Jakarta’s plan to acquire the M-346 F Block 20, the total number of aircraft sought in this acquisition was not disclosed in this announcement. However, on 5 February, Defense News reported that Indonesia is thought to be considering an order for 24 M-346 F Block 20s in total to replace its ageing Hawk fleet.
It is also too early to say which TNI-AU squadrons are being lined up to operate the platform or whether they will be operated by newly established units. Given that Indonesia’s remaining Hawk units are expected to transition to the Dassault Rafale, it seems likely that different or new units will be used to operate the M-346 F.
In any case, Jakarta’s planned acquisition of the M-346 F Block 20 means that Indonesia will become the third Asian nation to acquire a variant of Leonardo’s Master family of advanced jet trainer/light combat aircraft after Singapore and Turkmenistan.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) currently operates a force of 12 M-346A advanced jet trainers, while the Turkmen Air Force (TAF) has acquired a fleet comprised of four M-346FA and two M-346DR/FTs in total.
Indonesia will be the second operator of the advanced Block 20 variant of the M-346 after Austria firmed up its order for the type in December 2025.
Why Indonesia is replacing its Hawk Mk 109/209 light attack jets
The Hawker Siddeley (now BAE Systems) Hawk Mk 109/209 platform has long formed the backbone of the TNI-AU’s jet training and light combat capabilities.
Having received more than 40 examples of the Hawk Mk 109/209 in total – with deliveries occurring through the 1980s and 1990s – the British-made jet has been largely used to supplement the TNI-AU’s more advanced and expensive combat aircraft, such as its Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, Sukhoi Su-27/30 Flanker and newer Dassault Rafale fighter fleets.
Since the late 1990s, the TNI-AU has primarily employed the Hawk Mk 109/209 in the jet training role, as well as in secondary close air support (CAS) and other light attack roles. Despite this, Indonesia recently began the process of downsizing its remaining fleet of Hawk jets.
Until January 2026, the type remained operational with just two TNI-AU units. This comprised Wing Udara 6’s (6th Air Wing) Skadron Udara 12 (12th Air Squadron) ‘Black Panthers’ at Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base and Wing Udara 7’s (7th Air Wing) Skadron Udara 1 (1st Air Squadron) ‘Equatorial Eagles’ at Supadio Air Base in West Kalimantan.
However, the ‘Black Panthers’ ceased operations with the Hawk in January 2026, beginning its transition to the Rafale and becoming the first operational TNI-AU unit to employ the French-made fighter. The squadron’s remaining Hawk Mk 109/209 jets were relocated to Supadio on 7 January and have since joined the ranks of the ‘Equatorial Eagles’, which is also set to transition to the Rafale in the future.
Enhancing the Master: What’s new with the M-346 F Block 20?
Having been co-developed alongside the Russian-built Yakovlev Yak-130 Mitten to address evolving advanced jet training and light combat requirements, the M-346 Master completed its maiden flight on 15 July 2004. The initial light attack-specific variant of the jet, the M-346FA, was designed to support a wide variety of combat roles, including:
- Tactical Reconnaissance;
- Homeland Security and Air Policing;
- Interdiction and Battlefield Air Interdiction (BAI);
- Close Air Support (CAS);
- Counterinsurgency (COIN);
- Combat Search-and-Rescue (CSAR);
- Tactical Air Support for Maritime Operations (TASMO);
- Slow-Mover Interception (SMI), and;
- Forward Air Controller-Airborne (FAC-A) operations.
The platform’s multi-role design enables it to quickly switch between training and operational combat configurations when required.
Some 20 years after the M-346 completed its first flight, Leonardo announced the launch of a new capability enhancement package for the Master during the Farnborough International Airshow 2024. This package can be applied to both the baseline M-346 advanced jet trainers, as well as the M-346FA, with Leonardo confirming that ‘M-346 T Block 20’ and ‘M-346 F Block 20’ will be the designations for the upgraded aircraft, respectively.
The Block 20 configuration introduces a more modern cockpit and a set of system upgrades that expand the jet’s combat capabilities. The old setup of six Multifunctional Displays (MFDs) will be replaced by two Large Area Displays (LAD) and an updated, low-profile Head-Up Display (HUD), providing pilots with a cleaner, more flexible interface.
Internally, the aircraft’s avionics architecture will be refreshed, navigation and mission-management software will be improved, and Identification Friend-or-Foe (IFF) and other communication systems will be brought up to modern standards.
The Block 20 upgrade for the M-346FA also supports a new, advanced active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and a broader mix of precision-guided weapons. Together, these changes provide the aircraft with better situational awareness, smoother workload management and a stronger multi-role combat package.
Featured image: Leonardo
