The contract, for four SU-27 jets, worth between 100 and 120 million dollars (between 91 and 110 million euros), will be signed during the Indonesian leader's visit from April 20 to 24, the newspaper quoted an industry source as saying.

According to a source in the Russian military-industrial complex quoted by the Interfax news agency, Indonesia will place an order for two SU-27s and two SU30s.

During her trip to Russia, Megawati will visit a Sukhoi testing base outside Moscow, Interfax added.

The Indonesian president was due to leave Indonesia Thursday on an eastern European of Romania, Russia and Poland.

She is scheduled to arrive in Russia on Sunday and will discuss arms deals during talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin the next day.

"That issue will be discussed. Basically we will discuss defence cooperation," foreign ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said in Jakarta.

Indonesia has US-made F-16 fighter-bombers in its airforce.

But the country has been under a US arms embargo since 1999 following the army's participation in militia violence in East Timor. The US demands an accounting for the violence before it resumes full military contacts.

Megawati's father, left-leaning founding president Sukarno, forged close ties with Russia in the 1950s.

SPACE.WIRE