"In order to modernize the Indonesian Air Force, I would like to enter into official negotiations with you to buy all 15 Eurofighters for the Republic of Indonesia," Prabowo wrote in a letter, quoted by Die Presse. But four days later, Indonesia's Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto reached out to his Austrian counterpart with an offer she could hardly refuse. The case was closed in April 2020.Īfter an unsuccessful campaign to find a new future for their unwanted fighter jets, Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner had just announced on July 6, 2020, that the Luftstreitkräfte would retain the Typhoons. In 2017, a parliamentary commission was formed to investigate an alleged fraud from Airbus, after the Ministry of Defense accused the manufacturer of charging 10% for offset deals without properly informing Austrian taxpayers. Some even suspect, without evidence, that Austrian politicians could have been bribed. But since the deal was signed, the acquisition has been targeted by critics, which consider the aircraft too expensive for its modest tactical application. The contract was valued at €1.75 billion ($2.7 billion). Its main mission was to defend the sovereignty of the country’s airspace.Īustria eventually settled for 15 Typhoons, including nine new and six used aircraft, in their Tranche 1 variant specialized in air superiority. The aircraft was chosen in 2002 to replace the Saab 35 Draken and the Northrop F-5E Tiger within the Luftstreitkräfte, the Austrian Air Force. The Bundesheer had been on the lookout to retire the Eurofighter Typhoon. Please contact us for subscription options.The Austrian authorities received a letter of intent from the Indonesian government to acquire the fleet of fifteen Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets that have been the target of constant debate for the last two decades. *Writing by Maria Elisa Hospita from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian-language service in JakartaĪnadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. The Eurofighter Typhoon is an advanced swing-role fighter jet, equipped with two Eurojet EJ200 engines. However, Tanner underlined that the transaction would not be simple as it would involve many parties. In September, Tanner officially responded to the request, welcoming the plan and promising that she would attend to the legal issues related to the sale. "We are in the middle of procuring vital defense equipment to protect our national territory and citizens, thus following up on our proposal regarding the Austrian Eurofighter jets," he said in the letter. Previously, Prabowo wrote a letter to Klaudia Tanner on July 10, expressing Jakarta's intention to buy 15 Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets. "I am sure our defense cooperation will continue to grow and develop," said Subianto, adding that the deal would benefit both countries. 8 to his Austrian counterpart Klaudia Tanner. Prabowo Subianto conveyed his country's interest in the jets in a letter dated Oct. Indonesia's defense minister is scheduled to visit Vienna, Austria, next Tuesday to discuss plans to purchase of Eurofighter Typhoon jets.