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Indonesia opens door for cooperation on space defense

U.S. Space Command

On the heels of the “Super Garuda Shield” exercise in early August 2022, the Indonesian Air Force invited the United States to a seminar on space defense to discuss potential cooperation between the two nations in the newest military domain.

Brig. Gen. Jesse M. Morehouse, U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) Deputy J5, met with top Indonesian officers responsible for space and served on a panel during the August 31 seminar in Jakarta titled “The Use of Space in Regards to National Security,” sponsored by the Indonesian National Air and Space Power Center. (Pictured: U.S. Space Command Brig. Gen. Jesse M. Morehouse, left, meets Indonesian Air Chief Marshal Fadjar Prasetyo in Jakarta in August 2022.)

The U.S. was the only foreign nation to attend the conference. According to Morehouse, “The United States made a strong statement about its interest in space partnership by attending.” Increasing cooperation in space between the nations is a top priority for USSPACECOM to achieve its security objectives, in part because of Indonesia’s standing as the world’s third-most-populous democracy and its strategic location. Morehouse said, “The positive image of the U.S. within the Indonesian military and their enthusiasm for participating in space-related discussions with the U.S. led to a very positive experience that advanced our partnership goals and laid a foundation on which further gains can clearly be made.”

Morehouse was pleasantly surprised at the reception of his suggestion to have Indonesia pursue a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Sharing Agreement with the U.S., stating, “I soon found that the military is very eager to partner with the U.S. on space-related matters.” Indonesian military authorities wanted to know more about an SSA agreement with USSPACECOM. More than 30 nations have signed onto these partnerships, three of them in April 2022 alone. This illustrates the dramatic rise in the deployment of civilian and military assets in space. USSPACECOM’s SSA program is part of a larger effort to support spaceflight planning and enhance the safety, stability, security, and sustainability of space operations.

There was also deep interest among Indonesian military authorities in how USSPACECOM works to integrate military and commercial space initiatives, as well as in joining the command’s capstone Global Sentinel security event, adding the space domain to future Garuda Shield exercises and discussing plans for expansion of an Indonesian spaceport. Indonesia created one of the world’s first civilian space agencies in 1963 and set a goal of becoming a leading spacefaring nation by the 100th anniversary of its independence in 2045. The goal is undergoing a reset with the incorporation of space programs into a larger, streamlined National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

According to an index kept by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Indonesia has six satellites in orbit, mostly for telecommunications and all for civilian use. A nation of 277 million scattered across 6,000 islands, Indonesia is focusing many of its efforts in space on bringing telecommunications and data connectivity to more of its people. Two telecommunication satellites are planned for launch in 2023 and 2024, one of which is to replace the loss of a satellite in 2020 due to a Chinese launch failure. In the next five to 10 years, Indonesia also plans to orbit a series of civilian-military, dual-use satellites for remote sensing and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. 

In November 2022, Indonesia will host the regional Indo Aerospace Expo and Forum, which affords the U.S. another chance to build a space partnership. Moving forward, continued USSPACECOM engagement with Indonesia can create a robust, multifaceted partnership that will serve the best interests of both the U.S and Indonesia. Morehouse said, “Indonesian space-related objectives closely align with the types of opportunities we would like to explore.” 

IMAGE CREDIT: U.S. SPACE COMMAND

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