Indonesian Defense Says ‘Thanks, but No Thanks’ to Qatari fighter Jets

The Jakarta Globe ^ | March 20, 2009 | Markus Junianto Sihaloho

[sukhoi-30mki]

Markus Junianto Sihaloho

Defense Says ‘Thanks, but No Thanks’ to Qatari Jets

The government has turned down a grant offer of 10 Mirage 2000 jet fighters from the Qatari government due to a lack of funds for maintenance, Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said on Thursday.

Juwono said Qatar offered the jets six months ago through Indonesia’s ambassador in Doha. The government needed only to send a letter requesting the aircraft.

“I have not sent a letter,” Juwono said. “But had I sent one, I would have told them that our state budget is focused on infrastructure and improving the people’s welfare. The military’s procurement of equipment must give way to those programs.”

Stopping short of disclosing maintenance costs for currently operated aircraft, Juwono said that the military’s budget did not allow for maintaining additional planes.

The Air Force was tempted by Qatar’s offer, Juwono said, but “I have told them that it is the maintenance costs that made us think twice about accepting the offer.”

The minister said there was no guarantee that French company Dassault Aviation, the maker of the Mirage fighters, would maintain its position in the international aviation industry in light of the current global recession.

“We do not want equipment that cannot be used for the long term,” he said.

Juwono said instead of acquiring more weaponry, the government had decided to focus on obtaining the best military technology. He said the recent purchases of Russian Sukhoi jet fighters and transport-attack helicopters, along with four Sigma-class corvettes, would help modernize the country’s military.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Qatari Mirage 2000-5

[Mister Muggles]

I’ll take one...maybe two if you can give me the weekend to clean out the garage.

[Republican Party Reptile]

Qatar has been trying to unload those for a while now

[Husker24]

Its a nice looking little plane.

[valkyry1]

The Migs never had a chance against it.

[Tommyjo]

The Mirage 2000 and earlier Mirage III/V variants can't really be compared. The Mirage 2000 was a completely different generation. The Mirage 2000 has only one air-to-air kill to its name and that can't even be regarded as true combat. Durng 1996 a Greek Mirage 2000 shot down a Turkish F-16 over the Agean Sea during a joust that got out of hand.

The Arab Air Forces most certainly got air-to-air kills over Israeli Mirage. The Israeli's certainly didn't get it all their own way.

Israeli Mirages were downed by a variety of MiG types ever since they entered Israeli service. Obviously the ratio in the end was greatly in favour of Israeli Mirages.

A few gun kill examples from Egyptian MiG-21s

Israeli Mirage being downed by Egyptian MiG-21

Israeli F-4 Phantom in an Egptian Air Force MiG-21 sights.