Indonesia drops KF-21 co-production plans, eying stock warplanes instead

Indonesia has dropped plans to co-produce the KF-21 fighter jet with South Korea, ending a decade-long agreement. Defense Logistics Agency head Yusuf Jauhan confirmed that domestic production will not materialize, scrapping the 2015 co-production deal that once envisioned Indonesia manufacturing 48 units. Jakarta had initially agreed to cover 20% of development costs but the agreement was bogged down by delayed payments and allegations of sensitive data theft. Indonesia settled a reduced commitment of 600 million won in exchange for a single-seat KF-21 prototype. Officials said they are more interested in buying ready-made jets. Hyung-Ju Kim, president of the Security Management Institute think tank, said the decision "appears to be largely practical and financial" and could boost the KF-21's export campaign. Local officials said procurement plans are still being explored, with the purchase of 24 additional French Dassault Rafale jets and 48 KAAN stealth jets from Turkish Aerospace under consideration.