The transfer of the jets from Qatar will be facilitated by Defence Conseil International (DCI), a French company based in Qatar. They will handle the preparation and logistics of the aircraft transport. The majority shares of DCI are owned by the French government.
The decision to acquire Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets from Qatar was driven by Indonesia’s aim to fill the operational gap resulting from the aging Russian-made Su-27 and Su-30 fighter jets that were previously purchased.
Initially, the Indonesian Air Force showed no interest in the Qatari Mirage aircraft, which were intended for the French private training company ARES. However, the purchase did not materialize, and as of January 1, 2023, ARES ceased its operations.
There were also unofficial discussions about selling the Mirage aircraft to Bulgaria or Ukraine. Ultimately, after several months of negotiations, the decision was made in November 2022 to acquire them for Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense.
Indonesia plans to use the Mirage aircraft as an interim solution while awaiting the delivery of the multi-role Rafale aircraft, which they directly ordered from Dassault Aviation. In February 2022, a contract was signed for the delivery of 6 Rafale jets. In April 2023, Indonesia decided to place an order for an additional 18 aircraft of this type, along with a large batch of missile armaments. In total, Indonesia has ordered 80 Rafale jets.
