Jakarta. Indonesia has agreed to buy 48 Turkish KAAN fighter jets as the Southeast Asian country pursues more modern military equipment.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan broke the news on his social media account on Wednesday as Indonesia held its biggest arms show in Indonesia. At the 2024 Indo Defence Expo & Forum, President Prabowo Subianto witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the jet purchase.

KAAN is a fifth-generation, twin-engine stealth fighter project spearheaded by the state-run arms manufacturer Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).  

“Within the framework of the agreement we signed with our friend and brother Indonesia, 48 KAANs will be produced in Turkey and exported to Indonesia,” Erdogan posted on the social media platform X, about five hours after the signing.

The Turkish leader revealed that the KAAN production would use Indonesia’s local capabilities. Erdogan, who made a state visit to Bogor earlier this year, called the freshly inked export agreement a milestone in Turkey’s history.

Earlier that day, Prabowo talked about Indonesia’s intention to step up its defense investment, citing that history had shown the importance of investing in one’s military.

"History has taught all of us that a nation that does not want to invest in its defense system will have its independence being stolen away,” Prabowo said when kicking off the four-day arms exhibition.

The Jakarta Globe has messaged the Defense Ministry’s spokesman Frega Ferdinand Wenas Inkiriwang, about Erdogan’s announcement, but has yet to receive a response. The government revealed that the 2024 Indo Defence Expo & Forum had secured 27 contracts involving state-owned and private companies. These deals amount to Rp 33 trillion (approximately $2 billion). 

Neither side, however, disclosed the financial details of the KAAN purchase. The aircraft is currently in the development stage.

When Prabowo jetted to Ankara in April, the ex-military general unveiled Indonesia’s intentions of taking part in the KAAN joint development. Erdogan at the time said that both leaders were reviewing “new cooperation opportunities, including joint production in the defense industry”.