No reason has been given for the sudden cancellation, although Indonesia is also pursuing separate fighter deals with Turkey, France, and China.

Boeing recently announced that it would not proceed with its planned sale of up to 24 F-15EX Eagle II fighters to Indonesia—instead focusing on supplying the modernized fighter jet to the United States Air Force. The aerospace firm confirmed that a previously announced deal with Jakarta for the F-15ID variant will not proceed, years after it was first announced.

“In terms of our (F-15) partnership with Indonesia, it is no longer an active campaign for us,” Bernd Peters, vice president of business development and strategy at Boeing Defense, told reporters at the Singapore Airshow 2026 on Tuesday. He directed further questions to the US and Indonesian governments. No substantive reason was given for the cancellation.

The scrapping of the Indonesian acquisition process came as a surprise to many, as it had been cleared by the US Department of State under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) framework in February 2022, in a deal estimated at $13.9 billion. In addition to the F-15EX aircraft in question, the deal included radar, electronic warfare systems, and digital processors.

In August 2023, Indonesia’s then-Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto—now serving as the nation’s president—visited Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri, where a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed for 24 F-15EXs, designated the F-15ID.

As previously reported, the deal was treated as more important, likely to gain favor with the Trump administration and to “ease trade strains,” as President Donald Trump sought to impose tariffs on countries around the world that he felt had unfair trade deals with the United States.

Other F-15EX Buyers Are Still in the Wings

Although the F-15EX was initially offered to the United States Air Force to replace its aging F-15 Eagle fleet, Boeing has continued to court foreign buyers. According to a Simple Flying report, nations that have expressed interest in the Eagle II include Israel, Japan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and South Korea. Some of those nations may require further modification of the aircraft to meet local needs.

Though the F-15EX isn’t a fifth-generation fighter and lacks stealth, it has been touted as a capable warbird well-suited to the challenges of the 21st century. It can carry a full dozen missiles—a significant increase over the Cold War-era F-15 Eagle, which carried eight air-to-air missiles. The added capacity in the weapons load was due to new missile stations located near the wingtips.

The F-15EX Eagle II’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: 2021
• Number Built: 129+ (ongoing production)
• Length: 63.8 ft (19.44 m)
• Wingspan: 42.8 ft (13 m)
• Weight (MTOW): 81,000 lbs. (36,740 kgs)
• Engines: Two General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofans
• Top Speed: 1,650 mph (2,655 km/h) / Mach 2.5
• Range: Approx. 2,762 mi (4,445 km)
• Service Ceiling: ~60,000 ft (18,300 m)
• Loadout: One internally mounted M61A1 20 mm six-barrel cannon with 500 rounds, 23 hardpoints for external fuel and ordnance (29,500 lb payload capacity)
• Aircrew: 2 (pilot and weapons systems officer)

The two-seat F-15EX offers 21st-century advancements to the proven Eagle, including new fly-by-wire flight controls, improved weapons stations, an enhanced electronic warfare suite, advanced radar and computer, conformal fuel tanks, and a strengthened airframe. The F-15EX also features a deep magazine that allows it to carry advanced weapons, with a 28 percent larger payload than the older F-15E.

Moreover, the Eagle II requires minimal transition training and little additional workforce compared with earlier versions of the F-15.

Indonesia Is Still Buying Other Fighter Jets

Even as the F-15ID Eagles won’t be procured in the Southeast Asian nation, Jakarta appears to be moving forward with multiple other deals. Jakarta signed an $8.1 billion contract in 2022 with the French-based Dassault Aviation to purchase up to 42 Rafale omnirole fighters. The first of those fighters arrived at the military airbase in Pekanbaru last week.

Indonesia also concluded a deal with Turkey last July for 48 TAI TF Kaan fighter jets. However, as those aircraft won’t arrive for several years, last fall it also sought to close a deal with Beijing to acquire more than 42 Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C “Vigorous Dragon” jet fighters, valued at $9 billion. The purchase, if completed, would mark the Southeast Asian maritime nation’s first acquisition of a non-Western aircraft. Once the buying spree is finished, Indonesia could find itself in the unusual position of operating American, French, Turkish, and Chinese jets side by side—making it perhaps the only country in the world to do so.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image: Shutterstock / wz94.

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