Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a ceremonial welcome from Indonesia on Tuesday as his aircraft entered the country's airspace, escorted by two Indonesian Air Force fighter jets—an F-16 and a Sukhoi-30—before landing in Jakarta.
A video shared by the Prime Minister on Instagram captured the two fighter jets flying alongside his aircraft under clear skies as it approached the Indonesian capital. Escorting the aircraft of visiting heads of state or government with fighter jets is a diplomatic gesture symbolising respect and friendship.
The F-16 is a US-made single-engine multirole fighter aircraft, while the Sukhoi-30 is a twin-engine fighter developed in Russia. India also operates the Sukhoi-30MKI, an upgraded variant customised for the Indian Air Force.
Upon his arrival in Jakarta, PM Modi was received at the airport by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. In a post on X, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation, saying he was "touched" by President Prabowo's gesture of personally welcoming him.
Indonesia is the first stop of PM Modi's three-nation tour scheduled from July 6 to July 11. Following his visit to Indonesia, he will travel to Australia and then New Zealand, with his stay in Indonesia continuing until July 8.
Highlighting the growing partnership between the two countries, PM Modi said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in 2018 has delivered benefits for both nations and expressed confidence that his discussions with President Prabowo would further deepen cooperation across multiple sectors.
During the visit, the two leaders are expected to hold bilateral talks and jointly visit the historic Prambanan Temple complex in Yogyakarta, underscoring the deep cultural and civilisational ties shared by India and Indonesia.
The Prime Minister also met members of the Indian diaspora in Jakarta and thanked them for their role in strengthening relations between the two countries.
As part of the cultural engagements, PM Modi attended a traditional Wayang Kulit shadow puppet performance based on the Ramayana and watched a Bharatanatyam recital presented by the Samanvaya Group.
The visit comes at a time of growing strategic and defence cooperation between India and Indonesia, including Indonesia's decision earlier this year to acquire the BrahMos missile system from India.
