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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on April 10, 2025.
SINGAPORE—Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has expressed interest for his country to participate in the Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Kaan fighter program, as Indonesia and Turkey further deepen diplomatic and defense ties.
Prabowo made the comment in a joint statement with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan while on a state visit to Ankara. Local paper Jakarta Globe reported that both countries are reviewing ongoing projects and new defense cooperation opportunities, including the possibility for joint production.
Neither leader provided additional specifics on the Kaan collaboration.
Turkey is gaining a foothold in the Southeast Asian country, which has ambitious defense modernization plans. Indonesia has acquired the TAI Anka and Baykar's Bayraktar TB3 and Akinci uncrewed aircraft systems, as well as Roketsan's Khan tactical ballistic missile and Hisar surface-to-air missiles.
TAI, Baykar and Roketsan have either set up an Indonesian office or have plans to construct an assembly plant in Indonesia to support the co-manufacturing of these platforms with local industry.
The question now boils down to whether Indonesia can this time commit to a joint fighter program, after it defaulted on Korea Aerospace Industries KF-21 development fees and had to renegotiate a trimmed-down deal with South Korea.
Indonesia has paid for 42 Dassault Rafales with deliveries slated for end-2026. The country also plans to acquire another 24 Boeing F-15EX fighter jets.
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