Indonesia considers buying 10 supermaneuverable Su-35 fighter jets, preferring them to US and German aircraft.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Indonesia’s Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu confirmed that the Indonesian government intends to buy 10 Russian Su-35 (NATO reporting name Flanker-E) multirole fighters, Indonesian media reported Wednesday.
In late January, the defense minister announced plans to visit Russia in April in order to continue discussions on the procurement of the fighters. Ryacudu first announced Jakarta’s intention to purchase the aircraft to replace the country’s aging fleet of US-made Northrop F-5 Tiger II fighters in September, 2015.
The minister may now visit Moscow to discuss the purchase as early as late February or March, according to the report. Indonesia is set to purchase the aircraft in a bundle with armaments and avionics systems, the newspaper said, adding that the Su-35 was chosen over its competitors, such as the US-made F-16V and the the German-made Eurofighter Typhoon.
RIA Novosti
