The Indonesian Army's integration of the Turkish-made KHAN tactical ballistic missile system places the nation at an advantage over several ASEAN peers in terms of strike precision, an area where China and India have typically held supremacy, as reported by data and analytics company GlobalData.
The missile incorporation, as part of advancing its defence upgrade initiatives, bolsters Indonesia's precision-strike capacity and indicates a growing trend of military expansion within Southeast Asia.
The KHAN system, produced by Roketsan, is designed to make precision strike of up to a range of 280 kilometres (km).
The system is mounted on an 8x8 Tatra vehicle, enhancing mobility for quick deployment across Indonesia's varied terrain.
This mobility increases the system's survivability and makes counterattacks by adversaries more challenging.
Additionally, the KHAN's integrated GPS and GLONASS-aided inertial guidance enable operation in electronically contested spaces with high accuracy.
As per GlobalData’s latest report, “Indonesia Defense Market Size, Trends, Budget Allocation, Regulations, Acquisitions, Competitive Landscape and Forecast to 2030,” Indonesia’s defence budget was set at $11.8bn for 2025, showing a 7.7% CAGR from 2021 to 2025.
The report forecasts the country's defence budget to grow at a CAGR of 7.3%, reaching $16.9bn by 2030.
GlobalData aerospace and defence analyst Gone Sai Kiran said: "The delivery of this missile system comes at a time when the Asia-Pacific (APAC) defence industry is experiencing rapid growth, largely driven by heightened tensions due to China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. For Indonesia—whose strategic position astride critical maritime chokepoints like the Malacca Strait makes it a key stakeholder—such capabilities are vital for safeguarding its sovereignty and sea lanes."
The acquisition highlights Indonesia's strengthening defence ties with Türkiye and marks Indonesia as the first international user of the KHAN missile system.
This move is part of Indonesia's efforts to diversify its defence procurement and could lead to joint development projects, technology transfers, and further acquisitions such as the Atmaca anti-ship missile system.
"Indonesia's induction of the KHAN system is more than a simple procurement; it signals that more countries in Southeast Asia are aiming to acquire advanced missile systems amid rising territorial disputes. This year, the Philippines also received BrahMos missile batteries from India, while Vietnam has expressed interest in purchasing similar missile systems. As territorial disputes and armed conflicts continue to arise in the region, more Southeast Asian countries will likely arm themselves with advanced missile systems throughout this decade," Kiran added.
In June 2025, Indonesia signed a Letter of Intent with KNDS France, an artillery systems and ammunitions company, to acquire more Caesar artillery systems and 155mm ammunition.
