Indonesia and U.S. Elevate Defense Partnership to MDCP, But Hesitate on Military Aircraft Overflight Rights

Gate News message, April 15 — Indonesia and the United States elevated their defense cooperation to a “Major Defense Cooperation Partnership” (MDCP) on April 14, with Indonesian Defense Minister Shapri Samsudin and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signing a memorandum of understanding in Washington, D.C.

According to a joint statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, the two countries agreed to cooperate on military modernization and asymmetric capability development. They will jointly develop next-generation defense technologies in underwater and autonomous systems, and collaborate on the joint development and maintenance of asymmetric capabilities. Additionally, Indonesia and the U.S. committed to significantly expanding special forces joint training exercises as a symbol of mutual trust, reinforcing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region and reaffirming their commitment to maintaining peace through strength.

However, Indonesia maintained a cautious stance on sensitive military matters. While the U.S. proposed allowing comprehensive overflight rights for American military aircraft through Indonesian airspace, Indonesia resisted the proposal. According to Reuters and Jakarta Globe, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the Defense Ministry warning that granting blanket overflight rights could entangle Indonesia in South China Sea disputes, urging the government to postpone any agreement. Indonesia’s Defense Ministry emphasized that the matter is under careful government review and is not binding; notably, comprehensive overflight rights were not explicitly included in the finalized MDCP agreement.

On the same day Indonesia’s defense minister visited the Pentagon to upgrade defense ties, President Prabowo Subianto met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, underscoring Indonesia’s commitment to maintaining its non-aligned foreign policy stance. According to diplomatic analysts, while Indonesia is expanding defense cooperation with the U.S., the likelihood of abandoning its non-aligned diplomatic position remains low.