Indonesian, U.S. military leaders deepen security cooperation

Gusty Da Costa

Top generals from Indonesia and the United States recently emphasized their nations’ commitment to strengthening military cooperation in the face of evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

The April 2024 meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, between Gen. Agus Subiyanto, commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), and Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific, followed Flynn’s discussions with Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak, TNI chief of staff. The high-level engagements highlight the nations’ intensified military collaboration to navigate the region’s complex geopolitical dynamics, including maritime security.

“The generals discussed how the United States and Indonesian militaries can build upon a thriving security partnership, one of the pillars of the 75 years of diplomatic relations celebrated by the United States and Indonesia throughout 2024,” the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta stated.

Subiyanto expressed a desire to enhance bilateral defense cooperation, including through joint training and knowledge transfer. “Our meeting has further strengthened the cooperation aimed at increasing mutual trust and avoiding tension between countries in the region,” he said in a TNI news release.

“A safe, stable, and secure Indo-Pacific is only possible through collaboration with our friends and partners in the region,” Flynn noted in a social media post, highlighting the shared goal of robust security partnerships.

“The meetings focused on cooperation in the exchange of education participants, transfer of knowledge and technology, joint exercises, and collaborative efforts in improving defense capabilities of both countries,” Dave Laksono, a lawmaker overseeing defense issues in the Indonesian House of Representatives, told FORUM.

Discussions also focused on specific regional security challenges, particularly growing complexities in the South China Sea, where the People’s Republic of China is conducting increasingly aggressive maneuvers in and around other nations’ territorial waters. Indonesian and U.S. officials discussed their vision to enhance regional stability by deepening security cooperation, underpinned by the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Indonesia is a founding member, and shared principles in ASEAN and U.S. Indo-Pacific strategies.

Maritime security was another focus, Laksono said. Indonesia and the U.S. agreed in November 2023 to initiate more than $5 million in assistance through their Joint Work Plan on Maritime Security to enhance maritime law enforcement and security capabilities, he added. That includes conducting joint maritime patrols, sharing maritime intelligence and establishing a U.S.-funded maritime training center in Batam, Indonesia.

The generals also discussed enhancing interoperability and readiness through joint military training and exercises, Laksono said. The annual Cope North, Garuda Shield, and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercises underscore the multifaceted nature of the nations’ defense cooperation to promote regional peace and stability.

While Indonesia has a policy of neutrality, “maritime security cooperation with the U.S. strengthens Indonesia’s maritime defense capacity while upholding the country’s sovereignty,” Beni Sukadis, an analyst at the Indonesian Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies, told FORUM.

Gusty Da Costa is a FORUM contributor reporting from Jakarta, Indonesia.