China to Deliver First J-10C Fighters to Indonesia Within Six Months

Indonesian sources have reported that the country’s armed forces are preparing to receive their first Chengdu J-10C fighter aircraft within six months, potentially making it the third confirmed foreign operator of the aircraft after Pakistan and Uzbekistan. Indonesian Air Force Chief of Staff Air Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono declined to provide a detailed update when questioned by local media at the Indonesian military headquarters in East Jakarta. Asked about the aircraft’s arrival, he reportedly replied, “Just wait,” offering no confirmation of the anticipated delivery date or the number of fighters involved. Indonesian parliamentarian Dave Laksono separately expressed support for acquiring the J-10, arguing that modern 4.5-generation fighters would strengthen the country’s ability to respond to regional security threats.

Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamseoddin first confirmed the planned procurement of J-10C fighters on October 16, 2025, marking the first major breakthrough for Chinese fighter exports into Southeast Asia. Local sources in June widely reported that the country’s defence ministry has doubled orders for J-10C fighter aircraft, with Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamseoddin having emphasised that this is part of a broader modernisation plan. Forty-two fighters were announced to be on order in 2025, with a doubling of this number to 84 fighters potentially making Indonesia by far the largest foreign operator of the time. Acquiring such a large number of J-10s would allow the Air Force to phase all its older fighter types out of service, including the U.S. F-5 and F-16, and the Russian Su-27 and Su-30

Indonesia has long come under considerable Western pressure not to procure non-NATO standard fighters, with a a contract to procure 11 Su-35S fighters in 2018 currently remaining suspended as a result. The prestige of the Chinese combat aviation sector has nevertheless grown considerably over the past decade, particularly after the country became the second in the world to bring an indigenous fifth generation fighter into service in 2017 with the operationalisation of the J-20, and moreso after it became the first to unveil a sixth generation fighter at flight prototype stages in December 2024. China is currently positioned to lead the world by a decade in bringing sixth generation fighters into service, fuelling speculation that the some sixth generation subsystems could be offered to clients for the J-10C as part of future upgrade packages. 

The J-10C gained particularly attention abroad following its major successes when flown by the Pakistan Air Force in early May 2025, when it was credited with the shootdown of at least one French-supplied Rafale operated by the Indian Air Force. The fact that the J-10C not only has lower operational costs and maintenance needs than the Rafale, but also costs under one third as much to procure, and by some estimates closer to one sixth as much, reflects the vast discrepancies in efficiency between the Chinese and French defence sectors. The J-10C is currently the least costly fighter type being procured by China’s own air force, with the J-16, J-20 and J-35 all being much heavier and higher end designs. The J-10C integrates a wide range of fifth generation technologies, including common weaponry with the J-20, as well as a high composite airframe and cutting edge avionics.