Indonesia will order 42 Rafale fighter jets in an $8.1 billion deal, the French Defense Ministry said.

The deal came as Paris, which considers itself a global maritime power, is seeking to expand geopolitical ties in the Indo-Pacific after the US, UK and Australia formed a new strategic alliance called AUKUS last year, Reuters reported.

"We're planning to acquire 42 Rafale," said Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto as he met with his French counterpart, Florence Parly.

"Our strategic partnership will benefit from the deepening of our defence relations," said France's Minister of the Armed Forces Parly.

Parley said the order would make Indonesia the second nation in the Indo-Pacific region after India to rely on a Dassault Aviation aircraft.

A spokesman for the French defense ministry told reporters at a briefing that the deal to sell the planes, which will boost production by Dassault Aviation, Safran and Thales, is worth $8.1 billion.

He added that the first phase of the deal for six Rafale aircraft will be completed over the next months, with the remaining 36 to be delivered at a later stage, either later this year or next year.

The agreement will make Indonesia, currently second only to Singapore, the largest customer for French military purchases in the Southeast Asian region, a defense ministry spokesman said.

The French Ministry of Defense said that in addition to fighter jets, Indonesia also signed a memorandum of cooperation in the development of submarines, which will result in an order for two Naval Group Scorpene ships.

The issue is sensitive to France after Australia last year canceled a multibillion-dollar submarine deal with Paris, which accused its allies of betrayal.