Indonesia, U.S. enhance long-standing defense partnership

FORUM Staff

Indonesia and the United States recently elevated their decades-long military ties to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP), a designation that embodies the countries’ commitment to pursue advanced security measures.

Under the MDCP, the nations will codevelop sophisticated asymmetric capabilities and other next-generation defense technologies across domains, and cooperate on maintenance, repair and overhaul support to ensure readiness, according to a joint statement released after Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., in April 2026.

“Both countries recognize each other as important partners and reaffirm their commitment to cooperation based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and shared interest in regional peace and stability,” the statement said.

For Jakarta, the partnership provides access to cutting-edge capabilities in maritime, subsurface and autonomous systems, the Lowy Institute, an Australian think tank, reported. For Washington, it deepens Indonesia’s integration into the Indo-Pacific security architecture without requiring permanent basing.

The MDCP follows more than 75 years of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and the U.S. and builds upon about 170 joint annual drills. The new partnership is underpinned by three pillars:

• Military modernization and capacity enhancement through foreign procurement and domestic production.
• Training and professional military education opportunities such as officer exchanges, joint college programs and specialized technical instruction.
• Exercises and operational cooperation featuring increasingly complex joint drills — at the recurring Super Garuda Shield and Cope West, for instance — and real-time maritime domain awareness training.

“Super Garuda Shield is now one of the most important cross-domain multilateral exercises in the Indo-Pacific region,” Hegseth said. “Training and operating together show our resolve and our shared strength.”

The MDCP also calls for interoperability between the nations’ communication and data systems to ensure forces can share a real-time operational picture. Hegseth and Sjafrie said joint special forces training will be enhanced to ensure resilient bonds between the forces.

“We’re working on behalf of mutual respect and mutual benefit to enhance [the] value of our national interests,” Sjafrie said.

The MDCP reflects the deepening ties among Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners in 2026. Australia and Indonesia in February agreed to advance their security arrangements. In May, Sjafrie and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi signed a defense cooperation agreement to advance collaboration on joint exercises and defense industrial development.

Koizumi said the pact will “contribute to defense and peace, not just in our countries, but the region as a whole.”