Rafale Fighter Jet Pilots Are French-Trained, Says Indonesian Air Force

Translator

Eka Yudha Saputra

Editor

Najla Nur Fauziyah

Sabtu, 30 Mei 2026 21:40 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Air Force pilots who will operate Rafale fighter jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation have been training in France since 2025, with subsequent domestic training conducted for pilot regeneration.

Air Commodore Nyoman Suadnyana, the Head of the Indonesian Air Force Information Service, said human resource capacity building is part of the air force's current priority programs, as newly acquired weaponry calls for a higher level of professionalism.

According to him, the pilots, technicians, and other crew members of the Rafale fighter jets, Airbus A400M Atlas transport aircraft, and the Falcon 8X have attended lengthy training pertaining to the operational standards of each aircraft.

"For example, Indonesian Air Force pilots who will operate the MRCA Rafale have been undergoing training in France since 2025. The training then extended domestically at Air Wing 3.1, Group 3 Combat," Suadnyana told Tempo on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

Air Wing 3.1 Combat is a technical development unit for the operational readiness of aircraft crews in the air squadron. This unit is part of the Air Force Operation Command of the Indonesian Air Force at the Roesmin Nurjadin Air Base in Pekanbaru, Riau.

In addition, Rafale, Airbus A400M Atlas, and Falcon 8X pilots who have completed training will also become instructors for the next generation of Indonesian Air Force pilots.

The Dassault Rafale MRCA is a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft manufactured by Dassault Aviation. According to Dassault Aviation's website, the Rafale's design has a height of 5.30 meters, a body length of 15.30 meters, and a wingspan of 10.90 meters. It has a takeoff weight of up to 24.5 tons.

This fighter jet has combat capabilities with a range of up to 1,850 kilometers and a vast coverage of 3,700 kilometers thanks to its two Snecma M88 engines. These engines enable the Dassault Rafale 4.5 generation to reach speeds of up to 1.8 mach or 1,912 kilometers per hour at its peak altitude, and at low altitudes at 1.1 mach or 1,390 kilometers per hour.

The Dassault Rafale 4.5 generation applies a number of passive sensor systems to enhance air supremacy capabilities, such as the Optronique Secteur Frontal (OSF) electro-optical system integrated into the aircraft. The OSF has the ability to detect and identify targets in the air. The Dassault Rafale 4.5 generation is also equipped with an integrated modular avionics system (IMA) to support flight by presenting data analysis of all sensor systems in the aircraft.

In terms of weapon systems, the Dassault Rafale 4.5 generation carries the Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM) and Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), Apache ground missiles, Exocet/AM39 anti-ship missiles, High-speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM), Air Launched Anti-Radiation Missiles (ALARM), Maverick, AS30L, Penguin 3, Sidewinder, Harpoon, and Missile d'Interception de Combat et d'Autodfense (MICA) missiles.

President Prabowo Subianto handed over newly acquired defense equipment to the Indonesian military at Halim Perdanakusuma Airfield, East Jakarta on Monday, May 18, 2026.

Some of these equipments include six Rafale Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) produced by Dassault Aviation, four Falcon 8X aircraft produced by Dassault, one Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft, and the GM403 Ground Control Intervention (GCI) radar, and Hammer smart weapons and Meteor missiles. Indonesia had previously received two Falcon 8X aircraft and one Airbus A400M.