Jakarta Will Not Walk Away from Su-35 Jet Deal: Indonesian Envoy

Indonesia is still committed to a 2018 deal over the purchase of Russian-made Su-35 fighter jets, said Mohamad Wahid Supriyadi, ambassador of Indonesia to Moscow.

Supriyadi said his country "will not walk away from the deal" when asked in an interview by a Russian publication on July 24 whether his country had given in to pressure from the US to abandon the purchase. The contract valued $1.1 billion included delivery of 11 Su-35 fighters.

“It is still going on. Being an independent country, Indonesia has the right to purchase defense equipment from whoever it chooses,” the official added.

A few days ago, Indonesian defense minister wrote to his Austrian counterpart Klaudia Tanner offering to buy their used Eurofighter jets, and received a lot of flak for it in return.

In terms of infrastructure, maintenance, parts and equipment, Indonesia was far better prepared to buy Sukhoi-35. House Commission member Willy Aditya added that the purchase of similar fighters from different manufacturers was considered inefficient and had the potential to inflate the budget. "If you buy a different one, then other expenses for repairs, maintenance, spare parts, and so on will be different. The impact will also be related to the state budget later," he noted.

Click here for our video on Su-35 Vs Eurofighter Typhoon for Indonesia.