Indonesia strengthening front-line defenses against maritime threats
Gusty Da Costa
Indonesia is bolstering its maritime security infrastructure across key outer islands amid growing regional tensions. The strategically located Natuna Islands and Rote Island are at the forefront of the initiative, highlighting Jakarta’s commitment to protect its national borders and maintain stability in contested waters.
“Security infrastructure on Indonesia’s outer islands such as Natuna and Rote reflects the country’s efforts to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations lecturer at Padjadjaran University, told FORUM.
The Natunas, part of Indonesia’s Riau Islands province, lie between Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia near the southern edge of the South China Sea’s disputed waters and close to major shipping lanes and resource-rich areas. Since 2020, the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) has consistently stationed frigates and corvettes around the islands, Felix Chang, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, wrote for the United States-based think tank in July 2024.
In October 2024, Indonesian patrol ships drove away China Coast Guard vessels interfering with a seismic survey near Natuna, showcasing the importance of a robust naval presence. “These islands are the first fortress protecting the country’s sovereignty,” maritime expert Marcellus Hakeng Jayawibawa told FORUM.
Construction is underway on a submarine support base in the Natunas to enhance the TNI-AL’s capacity for extended and more frequent submarine patrols in the South China Sea. In addition, the TNI-AL recently established the 1st Fleet Naval Combat Group on Ranai in the Natunas, designed to coordinate support services for warships based locally and vessels deployed to the area, according to Chang.
Rezasyah, meanwhile, noted that the naval base on Ranai has been equipped with patrol boats and surveillance radar.
Rote Island, near Australia and Timor-Leste, is significant given its role in monitoring the Indonesian archipelago’s southern maritime borders. Rote’s naval base “serves as a coordination center for military operations, maritime surveillance and law enforcement,” Jayawibawa said.
Surveillance is enhanced by cooperation between the Indonesian Maritime Security Agency and local fishermen, who are involved in a community-based reporting system. “This not only improves surveillance, but also strengthens the relationship between the government and communities in border areas,” he said.
Surveillance radar deployed by Indonesia to monitor the Sulawesi Sea, and the Malacca and Moluccas straits is part of the Integrated Maritime Surveillance System (IMSS), a network of coastal radars, cameras and data systems. Funded in part by the U.S., the IMSS has been effective in detecting unauthorized foreign vessels. According to the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, the IMSS is “crucial to combating piracy, illegal fishing, smuggling, and terrorism within and around Indonesia’s maritime borders.”
The Navy base on Ranai is one of the closest major Indonesian bases to the eastern boundary of the Malacca Strait, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
Other technological advancements also are enhancing regional maritime security, Jayawibawa said. Indonesia is adopting drone surveillance and satellite monitoring to improve oversight in remote regions. “Drones allow more extensive and efficient monitoring,” he said, adding that the uncrewed systems significantly improve response times to illegal activity.
Also, he said, maritime border management is aided by agreements with neighboring countries such as Australia, Malaysia and Vietnam.
“Joint military exercises are often conducted to improve response capabilities to maritime security threats, such as drug smuggling, human trafficking and threats from nonstate actors,” Jayawibawa said. “Diplomatic efforts are also made to prevent conflict escalation in disputed areas, especially in the North Natuna Sea.”
Gusty Da Costa is a FORUM contributor based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
