Indonesia has ordered two A400Ms, which will potentially receive a fire-fighting kit, and the government is planning to soon begin negotiations to buy four more aircraft.
The Indonesian Air Force (TNI Angkatan Udara) received on Nov. 3, 2025, the first of two Airbus A400M transport aircraft at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base, Jakarta. The second aircraft on order is expected to arrive in 2026.
Piloted by Airbus personnel and received with a traditional water cannon salute, the aircraft was welcomed by the commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces General Agus Subianto, TNI-AU chief Air Marshal M. Tonny Harjono and Ministry of Defense officials who also attended the event.
Both the company and the TNI-AU have announced they are working on potentially integrating a fire-fighting kit on the Indonesian A400Ms. Additionally, Indonesia is also slated to soon begin negotiations for four more units, President Prabowo Subianto, who attended the ceremony, told journalists without providing further details on the timeline, The Jakarta Post said.
Aircraft A-4001, bearing full TNI-AU markings and the logo of the Air Squadron 31, took from Airbus’s facility at Seville in Spain on Nov. 1 with the callsign RAJA401. After fuel stops in Dubai and Medan, it finally arrived at the TNI Angakatan Udara’s Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta, as per Flightradar24 details shared by JATOSINT.
“Airbus A400M, Sayap Baru TNI AU di Langit Indonesia”
Tradisi water salute menandai kedatangan pesawat Airbus A400M/MRTT pertama Indonesia di Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma, Senin (3/11/2025). Kedatanganya disambut oleh Kasau Marsekal TNI M. Tonny Harjono, S.E., M.M., bersama para… pic.twitter.com/n6lI4uFGQM
— TNI Angkatan Udara (@_TNIAU) November 3, 2025
Indonesian A400M
Airbus also released on Aug. 1 footage of aircraft A-4001 during its first maiden flight, performing “a range of manoeuvres to validate the aircraft’s handling and evaluate key systems.” The company also said that the second A400M is undergoing tests at the Final Assembly Line at Seville, before moving to the paintshop.
The delivery of the TNI-AU’s A400M also comes after the service announced on Oct. 27 that four of its crew members completed the simulation training courses at the Airbus International Training Center (ITC) in Seville, Spain. Lt. Col. Putut Satriya, Major Riki Sihaloho, Major Fathir M. Hadid, and Captain Indra Kusuma N. completed the Full Flight Simulator (FFS), Crew Resource Management (CRM), and Mission Planning and Restitution System (MPRS) rating course.
The service’s current transport fleet includes 20 older C-130B/H/L-100 Hercules, five C-130J Super Hercules and 12 C295/CN235 aircraft, according to the 2025 World Air Forces report, that counted figures by the end of 2024. Indonesia is also expecting 42 Dassault Rafale F4s, is expected to be a future user of the KF-21 Boramae and Turkish Kaan fighters, and announced the possible acquisition of the Chinese J-10C among other equipment as a part of a recent $9 billion budget allocation.
Airbus Defence and Space delivered the first #A400M to the Indonesia Ministry of Defence, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to modernise its military transport capabilities. The heavy tactical airlift will be operated by the Indonesian Air Force. 🇮🇩
Read more:… pic.twitter.com/ThTTyDwNew
— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) November 3, 2025
Important military and HADR capability
In its X post, the TNI-AU said the A400M “bolsters the heavy transport aircraft capabilities of the Indonesian Air Force, complementing the existing C-130 Hercules and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.” The service added that, “with a payload capacity of up to 37 tons, long-range flight capabilities, and multi-role functionality, the A400M will serve as the backbone of the Indonesian Air Force’s air mobility in various missions, both in Military Operations Other Than War (OMSP) and Military Operations for War (OMP).”
The post also quoted President Subianto, who said during the ceremony that the Indonesian National Armed Forces play a very “significant role not only in safeguarding national sovereignty, but also in […] facing disasters and various humanitarian operations.” Subianto was also later given a tour of the aircraft and inspected the cockpit.
The Jakarta Post added that, beside modernizing the military hardware, Prabowo has also expanded the military’s role in governing the archipelago, including assistance in the agriculture and health sectors, as well as to support his ambitious free meals program.
“Pesawat A400M Tiba di Indonesia, Perkokoh Kekuatan TNI Angkatan Udara”
Pesawat Airbus A400M/MRTT TNI Angkatan Udara tiba di Lanud Halim Perdanakusuma, Jakarta Timur, pada Senin (3/11/2025). Pesawat dengan nomor registrasi A-4001 ini merupakan unit pertama dari dua pesawat yang… pic.twitter.com/K4ZfShQbNK
— TNI Angkatan Udara (@_TNIAU) November 3, 2025
The Ministry of the State Secretariat said that the A400M will “enhance the capabilities of the Indonesian Air Force in strategic air mobility and various operations, including humanitarian missions.” It can operate in “diverse conditions and on unpaved runways or semi-permanent airfields.”
Selain itu, pesawat Airbus A400M/MRTT memiliki sistem terintegrasi canggih yang dirancang untuk meningkatkan kesadaran situasional dan kinerja dalam setiap penerbangan. Dengan kemampuan multirole yang mumpuni, pesawat ini tidak hanya akan memperkuat kesiapan operasional angkatan… pic.twitter.com/7D62SOWiHB
— Sekretariat Negara (@KemensetnegRI) November 3, 2025
The Secretariat also called it a Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) because of its “capabilities for air-to-air refueling of fighter jets,” with an endurance of eight hours on a full tank, without refueling. The aircraft has two Ram Air Turbine (RAT)-powered underwing refueling pods with a drogue-and-hose system, as seen in the images, compatible with the Rafales that would begin joining the service by 2026.
Firefighting modification
As mentioned earlier, Indonesia is studying “the potential integration of the newly developed A400M firefighting kit on-board both aircraft,” Airbus said. “The roll-on/ roll-off (Ro-Ro) modular firefighting kit allows the A400M to be rapidly converted into a water bomber aircraft, capable of dropping up to 20,000 litres of retardant or water in a single pass. This new capability will significantly bolster Indonesia’s ability to respond to wildfires across its widespread and often hard-to-reach terrain.”
Watch as the first #A400M for Indonesia 🇮🇩 lifts off for its maiden flight 🛫
During the flight, the aircraft performed a range of manoeuvres to validate the aircraft’s handling and evaluate key systems. We’re already working on the second A400M for the Indonesian Air Force in… pic.twitter.com/2o8d18pwEr
— Airbus Defence (@AirbusDefence) August 1, 2025
Airbus had announced on Jun. 26 the successful completion of the A400M’s firefighting demonstrator kit at Nîmes-Garons with a series of test drops that took place in April. The independent assessment of the kits effectiveness was conducted by the Entente-Valabre’s Test and Research Centre (CEREN).
The “cup grid tests” tested “the accurate distribution and concentration of retardant upon reaching the ground,” with the modified A400M flying at altitudes below 30 meters (98 feet) and speeds around 230 km/hour (125 knots).
The Ro-Ro kit can be rapidly installed in the cargo hold without any permanent airframe modification. The tanks, which can discharge 20,000 liters of fire retardant through the rear ramp, can be refilled in under 10 minutes by standard ground pumps.
The Indonesian A400M is already configured for cargo, troop transport, MEDEVAC, and HADR roles. Its aforementioned 37-tonne payload can include helicopters, vehicles, and relief supplies.
For an average mission carrying 30 tonnes, the A400M can fly 2,400 nautical miles, covering the entire archipelago from Jakarta. The ability to “operate on short, unpaved runways and also serves as a multi-role aerial refuelling platform” is a “force multiplier that extends the reach of the Indonesian Air Force,” Airbus added.
