(FILES) This file photo taken on June 5, 2021 shows crew members standing next to a Rafale jet fighter on the deck of the French aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle, off the coast of Toulon. - Indonesia on February 10, 2022 ordered 42 Rafale fighter jets from France, as Paris and Jakarta seek to strengthen miliary ties in the facing of growing tensions in the Asia-Pacific. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP)
The country made major purchase announcements of fighter jets from United States and French manufacturers this week in the biggest military buying spree in recent years, raising concerns over government spending as the nation rations funds to recover from Covid-19.
The procurement plans spotlight a growing arms race in the Indo-Pacific region, following the surprise announcement last year of a security partnership between the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.
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