A brand new picture has granted our first alternative to see a totally painted Indonesian Rafale as crews finalize their coaching on the brand new jet.
The plane, marked T-0301, is seen with Indonesian nationwide markings and a putting two-tone grey camouflage scheme. On the tail, the jet carries the insignia of Indonesia’s sixth Air Wing. twelfth Air Squadron, one among two constituent items of the sixth Air Wing, would be the first to function the Rafale in Indonesian service.
Indonesia’s order for 26 single seat and 16 twin seat Rafale plane was formally signed with producer Dassault on Feb. 10, 2022. Following a go to to the nation by French President Emmanuel Macron in Might 2025 it was introduced {that a} additional Rafale order by Indonesia could also be on the playing cards sooner or later. The French fighters will start the alternative course of for Indonesia’s growing older F-16s and blended fleet of Sukhoi Su-27 and Su-30 Flankers. Moreover, the nation has signed up for future procurement of each the South Korean KAI KF-21 Boramae and the Turkish TAI Kaan.
Based on the Indonesian Air Drive put up which accompanied the picture, 4 pilots and 12 technicians are at the moment in France receiving preliminary coaching on the Rafale platform. From Aug. 20, the pilots will start a coaching program at Saint-Dizier Air Base lasting till December, which can embody full flight coaching and mission simulation sorties. Technicians, in the meantime, are receiving classroom and hangar based mostly instruction for organization-level plane upkeep which sees them work alongside operational Rafale squadrons of the French Air and House Drive.
Notably, the plane within the picture is without doubt one of the nation’s 16 twin seat Rafale airframes. These variants could also be slated to be delivered first to be able to allow preliminary coaching flights utilizing Indonesian-owned plane.
The potential for extra orders for Rafale, together with the Kaan and Boramae, would appear to solid doubt on any revival for Indonesia’s earlier plans to buy Russian Su-35 Flanker jets. Whereas Indonesia formally backed out from such a deal in 2021, more moderen feedback by the Indonesian Ambassador to Russia urged that the door has not but been firmly closed. There have been moreover stories earlier in 2025 of a possible deal for Chinese language-built fighter plane, citing speedy supply occasions in comparison with Western jets, however these rumors have but to bear any fruit. It’s attainable that the rumors had been an instance of what was claimed by French officers to be a concerted marketing campaign by China to discredit the Dassault Rafale platform.
French officers declare China has deployed its embassies to unfold doubts concerning the efficiency of French-made Rafale jets following the aerial fight between India and Pakistan in Might.
🔗: pic.twitter.com/lqsFK6agFt
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 6, 2025
China’s reported angle stems from the efficiency of the Rafale in Indian service throughout the nation’s temporary navy confrontation with Pakistan earlier this yr. Over only a few days in early Might as many as 4 Rafale fighters from the Indian Air Drive had been misplaced, with incorrect intelligence on the Chinese language-made PL-15 missile utilized by Pakistan considered a significant factor. Even outdoors of any official malinformation, disinformation, and misinformation (MDM) operations, the efficiency of Rafale plane within the battle was a degree of intense dialogue by aviation analysts, reporters, and fans on-line, calling the often well-regarded SPECTRA self safety suite’s effectiveness into query.
Spoke to #PakistanAirForce Chief ACM Zaheer Ahmed Baber yesterday. The PAF introduced down the IAF’s total kill chain on Might 5-10. Satellite tv for pc downlinks had been scuttled, radars jammed and GPS killed. IAF was lucky to not lose greater than 4 , sure 4, Rafales.
— Alan Warnes (@warnesyworld) July 9, 2025
Claims of Rafale shoot-downs throughout the aforementioned battle stay contested, although pictures of particles definitely appear to verify at the very least one of many jets was certainly destroyed. As we famous on the time, and in articles since, the lack of even extremely succesful plane in what is actually a peer-on-peer battle shouldn’t be shocking, nor damning of mentioned plane’s capabilities.
For a lot of navy aviation watchers, the aerial engagement was the possibility to to show it right into a referendum on the Rafale, however it’s really one thing else, a well-flown, well-supported 4.5-gen fighter can nonetheless be shocked if the opposing facet brings an extended attain, higher timing, and a cleaner community on a given evening. The Rafale’s kinematics, sensors, and Spectra suite stay formidable; what failed, per Reuters’ sources, was the belief set. India seems to be updating each gear (notably on the Su-30MKI) and TTPs accordingly. Subsequently, it’s secure to imagine a future BVR air battle might have a unique consequence.
Even the perfect plane and greatest pilots can turn into victims to intelligence failures, malfunctions of self safety gear, poor operational practices or planning, or just simply fortunate photographs. Fashionable battle is an extremely difficult mixture of many platforms and applied sciences that every one must work collectively to supply most efficiency.
