TNI AU sends 5 T-50i jets to Australia after 6 arrive
The Darwin exercise runs July 17-Aug. 7 with 20 nations participating, amid expanded defense cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea.
TNI Angkatan Udara sent five T-50i Golden Eagle trainer fighter jets from Skadron Udara 15 to Darwin, Australia, for a multinational air exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force from July 17 to Aug. 7, 2026. The aircraft and pilots were sent off at Lanud Iswahjudi, Magetan, East Java, by Koopsau commander Air Marshal TNI Djoko Hadipurwanto. The exercise includes 20 countries. The deployment came after Korea Aerospace Industries completed delivery of an additional six T-50i ordered by TNI AU. The supply contract was signed in 2021, with the first delivery made in February 2026. With the additional aircraft, South Korea has delivered 22 T-50 trainer aircraft to Indonesia, part of defense cooperation that also includes the KF-21 fighter jet project.