What is your take If Indonesia joined FCAS program? Either as direct participant and as observer first.
As we all know Indonesia already joined KF21 program but it is technically still a fourth plus plus fighter generation and the supposed technological level is not much different from the other fourth and fifth generation fighter other Nations currently employed.
For future consideration (beyond 2035), Indonesia should take it seriously from now on and what kind of concrete way we can take today. And as FCAS is still at developing phase we can trying to leverage our participation and reap benefit preferable in form of research participation and industrial engineering.
Why FCAS?
First, the consortium so far happened to be Indonesian long time partner in Aero industry which is Spain, France and Germany which is Indonesia has considerable lobbying and connection there.
Second, they are trying to build something more advanced compared to even the F35, with the involvement of those three country with so many experience in Aero and Fighter design those target is actually quite achievable and the long time project would act as buffer for the frontier level technology to be matured.
Third, it would be logically an attempt for Indonesia to up the game, especially after Indonesian Air Force actually building much of their C4ISR infrastructure modelled after much of those western European country.
