US Military Seeks Flyover Rights
A “keffuffle” developed this week over whether or not Indonesia agreed to allow US military flights over Indonesian airspace following a meeting in Washington, DC between US Secretary Pete Hegseth and Indonesia’s Minister of Defense Syafrie Sjamsoeddin. Some reports said Indonesia had agreed to permission-based access and others said the foreign affairs ministry had recommended against it. Traditionally, Indonesia has balanced its relations with superpowers (US, Russia, China) by refraining from overt alignment with any of them. The news reports, which may have involved leaks, have stirred up a lively debate. Indonesian The two defense ministries concluded a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) on 13 April in Washington. The ministers pledged to cooperate on “sophisticated asymmetric capabilities,” next-generation technology and autonomous systems (i.e., drones). A joint statement also said that both countries “commit to enhance joint special forces training.” No mention of the flyover plan was in it. It appears from the reporting that there was an agreement to allow permission-based access for US military aircraft but it was walked back after the foreign affairs ministry objected. Currently the Indonesian government is saying publicly that the US proposal is “under review”. Indonesian officials confirmed that talks continue on a preliminary Letter of Intent for blanket overflight access by U.S. military aircraft. The proposal targets emergency operations, crisis response and standard transits through airspace that sits atop vital sea lanes. Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait made clear that the document is in its “initial design stage”. Any eventual deal would respect Indonesian law completely, with approvals granted case by case rather than as an open-ended right. Jakarta has repeatedly stressed that it will not compromise sovereignty over its skies. (Jakarta Post/other sources)