Indonesia expects first J-10 fighter jets around April 2027, reports say

Indonesia could take delivery of its first Chengdu J-10 fighters around April 2027, according to an Indonesian news outlet whose account the South China Morning Post picked up. The outlet reported on October 5, 2026 that the first aircraft were about six months away. It did not say how many jets the first batch would hold.

If the handover goes ahead, Indonesia would become the first country in Southeast Asia to fly the Chinese-built fighter, the report said, and the type's third export customer after Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

Asked about the timeline, Air Force chief of staff Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono declined to give a schedule, saying the public should wait for the aircraft to arrive.

Big questions about the purchase remain unanswered. According to the report, Jakarta confirmed an order for 42 J-10CE aircraft in October 2025 with a budget of roughly $9 billion. Malaysian outlet Defence Security Asia noted that a Defense Ministry information chief, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, denied in May 2026 that a 42-aircraft, $9 billion deal existed. Figures of 12, 24 and 42 have each been cited at different points, and Indonesia has not publicly settled on a final total.

It is also unclear whether the aircraft will be new J-10CE export models or second-hand J-10Bs taken from Chinese air force inventory. Defence Security Asia reported that one foreign loan proposal set aside up to $1.6 billion for J-10B fighters. The J-10CE has an active electronically scanned array radar and can carry China's PL-15E long-range air-to-air missile. The older J-10B has a passive electronically scanned array radar and earlier weapons.