ISTANBUL — Turkey has secured a landmark defense export agreement with Indonesia, signing contracts for 48 KAAN fighter aircraft and two İstif-class frigates – a sign of Ankara’s growing defense industry footprint in Southeast Asia.

On July 26, 2026, Turkey and Indonesia officially signed the commercial contract defining the technical annexes and implementation details of the government-to-government (G2G) procurement agreement for 48 KAAN fifth-generation fighter jets.

The original G2G framework agreement had been signed on June 11, 2025.

The agreement includes comprehensive cooperation in engineering, manufacturing, and technology transfer. A key component is the establishment of a local aerospace infrastructure in Indonesia, which will serve as a tangible reflection of the strategic depth of the partnership.

Deliveries of the 48 aircraft will be carried out over a 10-year period under a phased schedule. The contract also covers long-term industrial collaboration, engineering support, and joint technology development, with Indonesian partners including PT Republik Aero Dirgantara and PT Dirgantara Indonesia.

The signing ceremony was attended by Haluk Görgün, President of the Turkish Defense Industry Agency; Şefri Şemsuddin, Indonesian Minister of Defense; Mehmet Demiroğlu, CEO of Turkish Aerospace; Ömer Cihat Vardan, Chairman of Turkish Aerospace; and Air Marshal Yusuf Zuhari, Head of Indonesia’s Defense Facilities Agency.

KAAN conducted its maiden flight on Feb. 21, 2024, and is expected to enter serial production by 2028, with the first deliveries to the Turkish Air Force planned for 2029.

Separately, during the IDEF 2025 defense exhibition here, defense officials from both countries finalized a deal for the supply of two MİLGEM-class, İstif-type frigates. This contract marks the first export of a MİLGEM-class warship to Indonesia.

The first İstif-class frigate, TCG İstanbul, was commissioned into the Turkish Navy in January 2024, with serial production of additional ships underway and deliveries expected to continue through the late 2020s.

This frigate deal is the third major naval cooperation project between the two countries. The first is the ongoing construction of two 70-meter missile-equipped, fast-attack craft (FAC) by Turkey’s TAIS consortium at Sefine Shipyard. First steel was cut in October 2024, and the vessels will feature Havelsan’s combat management system.

The second is the integration of Turkish weapons and combat systems aboard Indonesia’s future Merah Putih-class frigates. These ships, based on the Babcock Arrowhead 140 design, are equipped with Aselsan’s radar and sonar systems, Havelsan’s ADVENT combat management system and Roketsan’s Atmaca anti-ship missiles.