Russia Planning Series of Defense Contracts with Indonesia on Su-35 Fighter Jets

Su-35 of the Russian Air Force – Avionale photo.

Langkawi, Malaysia, 23 Jumadil Akhir 1438/22 March 2017 (MINA) – A contract to deliver Su-35 multirole fighter jets to Indonesia will be the first in a series of planned defense deals with this country, the director for international cooperation and regional policy at Russia’s defense industry conglomerate Rostec said Wednesday.

“Once the Su-35 deal is complete, we plan to engage in naval projects with the Indonesian side,” tass.com quoted Viktor Kladov, who heads the joint delegation of Rostec and state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, as telling reporters at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) in Malaysia.

A contract on helicopters may follow, the official said, adding that Indonesia also showed interest in Russia’s Be-200 multipurpose amphibious aircraft to tackle wildfires.

“Indonesia is interested in purchasing two or three aircraft of this kind,” he said.

Research firm IHS Markit predicts that Indonesia will spend more than $20 billion on procurement between 2016 and 2025 — the fifth fastest-growing defense budget in the world — and it will increasingly seek to diversify its suppliers.

“This reflects Indonesia’s wariness about dependency of a supplier or a set of suppliers, as well as the intention to ‘shop around’ for the best defense deals, spurring competition,” said IHS analyst Jon Grevatt. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)