Indonesia buys drones worth $300 million from Turkish Aerospace

FILE PHOTO: Indonesian Air Force helicopters carrying a big flag fly above high rise buildings during the country's 76th Independence Day celebrations in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 17, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has bought 12 new drones from Turkish Aerospace worth $300 million, its defence ministry said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of purchases aimed at modernising the country's ageing military equipment.

The deal comes after Indonesian President Joko Widodo in July warned his cabinet to maintain a "healthy" budget as he highlighted outsized spending by the country's security agencies, including the defence ministry.