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What stands out is Jakarta's apparent resilience to foreign influence. Over the past year, French intelligence reported a wave of disinformation aimed at Indonesia's Rafale deal, much of it traced to Chinese and Russian sources.

Viral TikTok videos falsely portrayed Pakistani J-10 pilots shooting down Indian Rafales, using manipulated footage recirculated in Indonesian-language posts. Despite these efforts, the Prabowo government proceeded with Rafale deliveries.

As one Indonesian army general said, Indonesia wants“the best platforms” regardless of origin-a philosophy that underpins its increasingly multipolar procurement.

This approach illuminates a paradox often missed by external observers: foreign influence can stir debate, but it rarely dictates Indonesian policy. Disinformation may create online chatter, but when it comes to actual contracts, the Ministry of Defense calls the shots.

The J-10 deal is a case in point. Even as rumors spread about second-hand Chinese J-10Bs being available at bargain prices, Indonesia's military-the TNI-stayed in its operational lane, affirming that procurement decisions lie solely with the defense ministry. In short, Jakarta buys what it wants, not what foreign actors hype online.

Strategically, the combination of Rafales and J-10s is revealing. On one hand, Indonesia remains confident in Western systems, benefiting from proven platforms, interoperability with US and European partners, and sophisticated support networks.

On the other, it keeps channels open with Beijing, acquiring hardware that diversifies its fleet and signals an openness to Chinese technology. This dual-track strategy may frustrate allies seeking clear bloc alignment, but it reflects Indonesia's free and active foreign policy, which prioritizes sovereignty, regional security and technological flexibility over ideological allegiance.

Critics may question whether this multipolar procurement strategy could lead to interoperability challenges or strain limited defense budgets. Certainly, coordinating logistics, maintenance and training across Rafale, KAAN and J-10 platforms will be no small task.

But Jakarta seems willing to bear the cost to avoid dependence on any single supplier, a lesson reinforced by decades of regional volatility, from rising tensions in the South China Sea to hard-shifting US-China relations.