Indonesia, US sign ‘major’ defence cooperation agreement

Signing of defence partnership follows reports that Washington is seeking overflight access in Indonesia for US military planes.⁠US ⁠Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ⁠has hailed the establishment of a “major defence cooperation partnership” with Indonesia, saying it underscores the “strength and potential” of ties with Jakarta to maintain stability in the Asia Pacific region.Hegseth hosted Indonesian Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin at the Pentagon on Monday, where the deal was signed.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Indonesia, Australia to expand security cooperation with Japan, PNGlist 2 of 4Magnitude 7.4 quake hits off Indonesia’s Ternate, tsunami warning liftedlist 3 of 4Indonesia receives bodies of peacekeepers killed in southern Lebanonlist 4 of 4Waist-deep floodwaters force hundreds to evacuate Java, Indonesiaend of list“This [partnership] signifies the strength and potential of our security relationship… bolsters regional deterrence, and advances our shared commitment to peace through strength,” Hegeseth said, according to a Defense Department statement.The US defence secretary also said Washington and Jakarta’s security relationship was “active and growing”, noting that both countries’ armed forces participate in more than 170 military exercises together each year.A joint statement on the new partnership said the two sides had agreed to work on co-developing “sophisticated asymmetric capabilities, pioneering next-generation defence technologies in the maritime, subsurface and autonomous systems domains”, and improving operational readiness.“We are here as Indonesian delegates… with very great enthusiasm to continue to develop our defence relationship, [which] should be enduring for our next generation in Indonesia and the United States of America,” Sjafrie was quoted as saying.“We’re working on behalf of mutual respect and mutual benefit to enhance [the] value of our national interests,” he added.The signing of the partnership comes a day after reports in Indonesia that both countries are discussing a proposal to ⁠give US military aircraft access to Indonesian airspace.The US is seeking “blanket” overflight access for military aircraft through Indonesian airspace, several ‌media outlets reported on Sunday, adding that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had approved the proposal.