Indonesia's Prabowo in France as Macron’s Bastille Day guest, eyes on Rafale, Scorpene

Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto is in France to attend the Bastille Day celebrations and both the countries want to turn the visit into a victory.

While Indonesia wants to portray Prabowo’s visit, which also included engagements with the European Union (EU) leaders, as the president’s rising international profile, France wants to capitalise on the visit to deepen the engagement with the country and lay groundwork for defence deals in the works.

Indonesia has signed a deal to buy 42 French Rafales and two French submarines. France wants Indonesia, the largest Southeast Asian economy, to buy more as the country faces challenges from China.

However, Indonesia is also seeking a middle ground of sorts in the confrontation with China. In November 2024, Indonesia and China signed a deal that analysts said implicitly recognised China’s ’nine-dash line’ and hence maritime territorial claims — the ’nine dash line’ refer to nine dashes that China has unilaterally and arbitrarily drawn on the map to claim as much as 90 per cent of the South China Sea and its islands as sovereign Chinese territory.

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France eyes defence deals with Indonesia

France wants to sell more Rafale fighter planes and Scorpene-class submarines to Indonesia.

In recent years, France has already signed deals with Indonesia for the sale of 42 Rafales, two submarines, and 13 long-range air surveillance radars from France’s Thales.

In May, when French President Emmanuel Macron visited Indonesia, the two countries signed a preliminary defence agreement that could lead to new orders of French military equipment, including Rafales and Scorpene submarines.

“I am delighted that the letter of intent signed today could open up a new perspective with new orders for Rafales, Scorpenes, light frigates,” said Macron at the time.

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Defence cooperation has underpinned the France-Indonesia relationship. Indonesia has been modernising its military capabilities and France has emerged as a key partner in this effort. The two nations have been enhancing collaboration in the development and acquisition of strategic weaponry.

A strategic realignment

France and Indonesia are also looking at a strategic realignment where both the countries seek partners outside of traditional power structures in the region.

Under its longstanding commitment to strategic autonomy, France has been foraying into the Indo-Pacific independently of the United States and has found a partner in Indonesia.

Similarly, for Prabowo, who has historical ties to France dating back to his military training, the visit to France represents an opportunity to diversify Indonesia’s international partnerships beyond traditional powers.