Pakistan offers 40 JF-17 Thunder jets to Indonesia in new defence talks.

Pakistan and Indonesia discussed a potential acquisition of approximately 40 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets during official talks in Islamabad on January 12, 2026.

On January 12, 2026, Reuters revealed that Pakistan and Indonesia discussed a potential acquisition of approximately 40 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets during official talks in Islamabad. The meeting involved Indonesia’s defense minister and the Pakistan Air Force chief, and also covered Shahpar drones, air defense systems, and training cooperation.
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As of early 2026, the JF-17 has been purchased by Myanmar, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, and Libya, while renewed or reported interest has been recorded in recent months from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan. (Picture source: Pakistan Air Force)

The discussions took place in Islamabad during an official meeting between Indonesia’s Defense Minister, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and Pakistan Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu. Indonesian officials framed the exchanges as covering general defense cooperation, strategic dialogue, and institutional communication, with emphasis on long-term and mutually beneficial engagement. The scope extended beyond aircraft acquisition to include air defense systems and training programs for Indonesian Air Force personnel at junior, mid-level, and senior ranks, as well as engineering staff. No firm number, delivery schedule, or financial value was agreed upon at this stage, but the talks are said to be advanced.

The JF-17 could now potentially join one of the most diverse fighter fleets in the world, which includes aircraft from the United States, Russia, Europe, and Asia. As of early 2026, the Indonesian Air Force operates about 33 American F-16s, 5 Su-27SKMs and 11 Su-30MK2s from Russia, and 3 French Rafales, supported by a fleet of light attack aircraft comprising 13 South Korean T-50is, 21 British Hawk 209s and 13 Brazilian A-29 Super Tucanos. A major renewal step is already underway through the acquisition of 42 French Dassault Rafale ordered in 2022 for $8.1 billion (with an option for 24 additional units), 48 Turkish Kaans ordered in June 2025 for $10 billion, 42 Chinese J-10C fighters ordered in October 2025 for $9 billion, as well as potentially 16 South Korean KF-21 Block IIs and 24 American F-15EXs, for a grand total of 172 fighters if all confirmed and potential orders are completed, before the arrival of the JF-17. On the domestic side, Indonesia launched the LAPAN Fighter Experimental (LFX) effort in 2012, then froze it in 2013, while a private company unveiled the Infoglobal I-22 Sikatan in 2022, even though it remains in early development stages.

Indonesia’s decision to operate and plan such a highly diversified fighter fleet is rooted in concrete operational, political, and budgetary factors accumulated over several decades. The Indonesian Air Force must cover a territory stretching more than 5,000 kilometers east to west, across an archipelago of over 17,000 islands, so the IAF tends to balance “high-end fighters” with lower-cost aircraft to have above 100 jets available day to day. Past restrictions on military supplies in the late 1990s and early 2000s led Indonesia to deliberately reduce dependence on one supplier, shaping a procurement model that mixes U.S., Russian, European, and Asian aircraft. Financial constraints also influence this structure, as combining higher-cost fighters such as the Rafale with more affordable aircraft such as the JF-17 helps mitigate delivery delays and production bottlenecks across several programs. This approach increases maintenance and training complexity, but Indonesian planners appear to accept that trade-off in exchange for strategic autonomy and fleet resilience.

The JF-17’s role in the Indonesia talks mirrors its growing presence in Pakistan’s wider export activity, where the aircraft has become a central element in multiple country engagements. Pakistan has already delivered the JF-17 into an arrangement with Azerbaijan, reinforcing its status as an operational fighter beyond domestic service. Parallel negotiations have included Libya’s eastern-based forces under a broader weapons package valued at about $4 billion, in which the JF-17 formed part of the overall military supply scope. Sudan has also featured in Pakistan’s recent defense negotiations, which have covered a range of military equipment including combat aircraft. These parallel tracks form part of a broader effort by Pakistan to scale its defense-industrial partnerships and position itself as a sustained supplier across different regions. Indonesia’s discussions align with this pattern, where the JF-17 is embedded in comprehensive packages rather than isolated aircraft sales.

Other countries have also appeared in Pakistan’s recent JF-17 outreach, further illustrating the breadth of interest surrounding the platform. Bangladesh has engaged in talks that include potential JF-17 acquisition alongside Super Mushshak training aircraft, combining combat capability with pilot training needs. Saudi Arabia has been linked to negotiations that could involve converting between $2 billion and $4 billion in existing financial arrangements into military supplies, with the JF-17 included among the systems under consideration. Iraq also recently showed its interest, as it seeks to replace its limited F-16IQs. Indonesia’s case is distinctive in that it combines fighter aircraft, armed drones, and structured training into a single cooperation framework. Taken together, these country tracks show the JF-17 being offered in adaptable packages tailored to differing operational, financial, and institutional requirements.

Several underlying factors help explain why the JF-17 continues to attract attention across multiple negotiations without being positioned as a replacement for higher-end fighters. The aircraft occupies a category that balances multirole capability with lower acquisition and sustainment costs compared to heavier Western or Russian platforms. Pakistan has paired the fighter with training pipelines, engineering support, and complementary systems such as drones and air defense assets, reducing entry barriers for air forces that require institutional development alongside hardware. Interest in Pakistan’s broader weapons development effort increased after the operational use of its aircraft in a short conflict with India in 2025, which brought additional visibility to platforms already in service. Pakistan has pursued multiple negotiations simultaneously rather than focusing on a single flagship deal, reinforcing the JF-17’s role as a scalable export option. Indonesia’s talks follow this same approach, combining capability expansion with longer-term cooperation objectives.

The JF-17 Thunder is a single-engine, lightweight multirole fighter powered by the RD-93 turbofan and designed for supersonic performance within regional operating environments. The aircraft incorporates a glass cockpit, fly-by-wire controls, and multiple external hardpoints supporting air-to-air missiles, precision-guided munitions, and external fuel tanks. Later variants integrate an active electronically scanned array radar, updated electronic warfare systems, and compatibility with beyond-visual-range missiles, reflecting an incremental upgrade path rather than a fundamental redesign. The JF-17 is also intended to operate from dispersed bases and to support comparatively straightforward maintenance concepts.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.