Indonesia signed a deal with France Thursday to buy six Rafale warplanes as part of an anticipated total order of 42, Jakarta's Defence minister said, as Paris bolsters military ties in the Asia-Pacific.
The agreement was announced as Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto met his French counterpart Florence Parly in Jakarta.
"We agreed on the purchase of 42 Rafale. The contract signed today is for the first six, which will be followed by 36 others," said Subianto.
In November, France and Indonesia strengthened a strategic partnership agreement during a two-day visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to the vast Southeast Asian archipelago.
In this tweet, France's foreign defence minister says that France and Indonesia's "strategic partnership will benefit from deepening defence ties. France is proud to contribute to the modernisation of our partner's armed forces, which plays a key role in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region."
