Take A Peek At The Innards Of Rafale Fighter Jets, A Candidate For The New Guard Of The Archipelago's Sky Guard

JAKARTA - Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto reportedly signed a contract for the purchase of Rafale jets and a quadron of F-15 EX fighter jets from the United States (US). The plan is for the delivery of these fighter jets to last for the next three years.

Quoting information from Asia Times, not only fighter jets. The Indonesian government also includes several other products on the purchase list.

These include eight Boeing F-15s, a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft from Lockheed Martin, three Airbus A330 tankers, six MQ-1 predatory drones and a warning radar system made by Leonardo from Italy.

Military observer Connie Rahakundini thinks that the plan to purchase Rafale jets and a squadron of F-16 EX fighter jets is safer than the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35. This is because Indonesia is overshadowed by sanctions from the United States as stated in The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Ad (CAATSA).

"Sanctions that have a serious impact on Indonesia. CAATSA was born from the American idea of removing Russia from the world's arsenal, ”Connie explained as quoted by CNBC, Thursday, February 25.

According to One India, the Dassault Rafale is a fighter aircraft with a dual jet engine that can operate from aircraft carriers and coastal bases. Meanwhile, Popular Mechanics judged that airplane wings were shaped

This multipurpose aircraft is capable of carrying out all combat flight missions; ranging from air defense missions, deep attack, reconnaissance, nuclear deterrence, air superiority, close air support, and anti-ship attacks.

As an aircraft that can play an important role in many combat scenarios, Rafale can also be equipped with various types of weapons. Quoting Airforce Technology, the Rafale fighter can carry a payload on wings weighing more than 9t.

The Air Force version of the Rafale can be equipped with 14 payloads on the wing. Meanwhile, the Navy version of the Rafale can carry 13 payloads on the wing.

The types of weaponry that can be carried include: air to air missiles, Mica, Magic, Sidewinder, ASRAAM and AMRAAM; Apache, AS30L, ALARM, HARM, Maverick, and PGM100 air-to-ground missiles; anti-ship missiles Exocet, AM30, Penguin 3, and Harpoon.

For strategic missions, the Rafale can deliver the MBDA ASMP stand-off nuclear missile. In December 2004, the company upgraded the aircraft to carry the MBDA Storm Shadow or Scalp EG stand-off cruise missile.

Rafale entered into service by the French Navy in 2004. Two years later, this acclaimed agile fighter jet was finally adapted by the French Air Force.

Until now, Rafale fighter jets have more than 30,000 flight hours and are used in combat zones in Middle Eastern countries.

Countries that have tasted the robustness of the aircraft to make France include Afghanistan, Mali, Libya, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Qatar, and India. And Indonesia is the only country in Southeast Asia that relies on Rafale jet fighters as space protectors.