The Indonesian Air Force has started receiving its Rafale F4 multirole fighter jets from France, with the delivery of three aircraft out of 42 ordered.
Reuters reported that France has delivered three Rafale F4 fighters to Indonesia, solidifying Indonesia’s entry to the Rafale club. Indonesia has ordered 42 (26 single-seater + 16 twin-seater) Rafale F4 multirole fighters in total.
The introduction of Rafale F4 is important for the Indonesian Air Force which is currently operating a handful of upgraded Su-27 and Su-30 variants and 33 F-16 variants.
Notable capabilities of Rafale F4 mainly include the RBE2-AA multi-function AESA radar, Meteor BVRAAM, AASM Hammer family of guided bombs, and SCALP-EG cruise missiles. While RBE2-AA is sure to come as a part of the F4 standard, the weaponry part is not clear yet.
RBE2-AA is a multi-function AESA radar with air-to-air, air-to-surface, and SAR modes with an instrumented range of 200+ km. The radar is a development of the original RBE2, which was a PESA type.
Rafale’s capability to use the Meteor BVRAAM is an edge over most other non-stealthy aircraft due to the long burn time and conserved speed over long ranges, thanks to the ramjet propulsion.
An important part of Rafale’s air-to-surface capabilities is the AASM Hammer series of guided/rocket-assisted kits for GPBs. Ranging from Mk81 to Mk84, the kits provide terminal guidance (Laser or IIR seeker) and optional range extension through a rocket booster. Indonesia is known to have considered the acquisition of AASM kits for its Rafale fleet at the very least.
Lastly, SCALP EG, known to be ordered by Indonesia, is a jump in stand-off strike capability when compared to Kh-59 cruise missiles for the Flanker derivatives, which are the only stand-off options for general air-to-surface missions. In addition to a better guidance package and longer range, SCALP EG’s low-observable design is another important factor contributing to Indonesia’s capabilities.
Rafale F4 as a Pillar for Indonesia’s Path to Future Fleet
Beyond its qualities as a modern fighter jet, Rafale F4 is to serve as a supporting solution for Indonesia until it takes delivery of newer KF-21 Block 2 fighters from the ROK in the near future and KAAN fighters with TF35000 engines and matured stealth features from Turkiye in the early to mid 2030s. With the three fighter types mentioned, Indonesia can be expected to have a low-medium-high fleet of fighters matching the requirements of the next decade.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
