Indonesia Says Talks To Buy 36 US Fighter Jets At 'Advanced Stages'

Indonesia Says Talks to Buy 36 US Fighter Jets at 'Advanced Stages'

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st November, 2022) Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto said on Monday that negotiations with US aerospace company Boeing on a $14 billion deal to buy 36 F-15 multipurpose fighter jets were at "advanced stages."

"Negotiations are continuing, and we are in the advanced stages of that negotiations," Subianto said on a joint briefing with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in Jakarta.

In February, the US State Department officially supported the Boeing deal, which is an important part of Washington's efforts to strengthen its partnerships in Southeast Asia.

Earlier in the month, media reported that negotiations on the deal were not going smoothly, as the US company was concerned about Indonesia's ability to finance the purchase, while Jakarta insisted on paying for the jets in installments.

For Indonesia, buying the F-15 is a part of President Joko Widodo's efforts to modernize the country's military.