U.S., Indonesia Announce Major Defense Cooperation Partnership

The U.S. Secretary of War and Indonesian Minister of Defense announced the establishment of the

Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) between the United States and Indonesia.

The MDCP is intended to serve as a guiding framework to advance bilateral defense cooperation.  

With this announcement, both nations reaffirm their shared commitment to maintaining peace and

stability in the Indo-Pacific, a Pentagon statement said today.

The MDCP features three foundational pillars:  

(1) Military modernization and capacity building;  

(2) Training and professional military education; and

(3) Exercises and operational cooperation.

Under the MDCP framework, the United States and Indonesia will explore co-developing sophisticated asymmetric capabilities pioneering next-generation defense technologies in the maritime, subsurface, and autonomous systems domains, and cooperating on maintenance, repair, and overhaul support to improve operational readiness.

Besides, both leaders have also committed to enhance joint special forces training.

U.S. Seeks “unrestricted overflying rights” for its military aircraft over Indonesia

Earlier, media reports said that the U.S. had sought “unrestricted overflying rights” for U.S. military aircraft which would mean American aircraft on military missions need not seek Jakarta’s prior permission to cross its territory.

The Indonesian government while admitting that the draft of such an agreement is being discussed, said , "The ministry affirms that authority, control, and monitoring over Indonesian airspace rest entirely with the Indonesian government," Defense Ministry official Rico Ricardo Sirait said in a statement on Monday.

Regarding the circulating document, Sirait emphasized that it is not final and remains under discussion. "The document currently circulating is a preliminary draft still under internal and inter-agency discussion and does not have legal binding force," he said.

Worry for China

Should the overflying rights be granted, it should come as major worry for China as it will become easy for the U.S. to militarily challenge its claim over certain South China Sea islands that Beijing claims as its own.