By Saad Sayeed, Ananda Teresia and Ariba Shahid
ISLAMABAD/JAKARTA Jan 12 (Reuters) – Indonesia’s defence minister met Pakistan’s air force chief in Islamabad to discuss a potential deal that includes the sale of combat jets and killer drones to Jakarta, three security officials with knowledge of the meeting on Monday said.
The talks come as Pakistan’s defence industry moves forward with a series of defence procurement negotiations, including deals with Libya’s National Army and Sudan’s army, and looks to establish itself as a sizable regional player.
Indonesia’s Defence Ministry confirmed the meeting between Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.
“The meeting focused on discussing general defence cooperation relations, including strategic dialogue, strengthening communication between defence institutions, and opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields in the long term,” defence ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait told Reuters, adding the talks had not yet led to concrete decisions.
One source said the talks revolved around the sale of JF-17 jets, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and killer drones designed for surveillance and striking targets. The other two sources said the talks were in an advanced stage and involved more than 40 JF-17 jets. One of them said Indonesia was also interested in Pakistan’s Shahpar drones.
The sources did not share any discussions about delivery timelines and the number of years a proposed deal would span.
The Pakistani military’s public relations wing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
INDONESIA REPLACING AGEING AIR FORCE FLEET
One additional security source with knowledge of military procurement talks said Pakistan was discussing the sale of JF-17 Thunder jets, air defence systems, training for junior, mid-level, and senior Indonesian air force officials, and engineering staff.
“The Indonesia deal is in the pipeline,” retired Air Marshal Asim Suleiman, who remains briefed on air force deals, told Reuters, adding that the number of JF-17 jets involved was close to 40.
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto was in Pakistan last month for a two-day visit for talks on improving bilateral ties, including defence.
Indonesia has put in a slew of orders for jets in the past few years, including 42 French Rafale jets worth $8.1 billion in 2022 and 48 KAAN fighter jets from Turkey last year to strengthen its air force and replace its ageing air force fleet.
Jakarta has also considered buying China’s J-10 fighter jets and is in talks to purchase U.S.-made F-15EX jets.
PAKISTAN’S RISING DEFENCE INDUSTRY
Interest in the Pakistani military’s weapons development programme has surged since its jets were deployed in a short conflict with India last year.
The JF-17s have been at the centre of that growing attention, figuring in a deal with Azerbaijan and the $4 billion weapons pact with the Libyan National Army.
Pakistan is also eyeing a defence pact with Bangladesh that could include the Super Mushshak training jets and JF-17s, as ties improve with Dhaka.
Reuters has also reported that Islamabad was in talks with Riyadh for a defence deal that could be worth between $2 billion and $4 billion and involves the conversion of Saudi loans into military supplies.
(Reporting by Saad Sayeed and Ariba Shahid in Islamabad, and Anada Teresia in Jakarta; Additional reporting by Mubasher Bukhari in Lahore; Editing by Alex Richardson)
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