Jakarta. The new Indonesia-US military co-development partnership could come with limitations, as one analyst sees very low odds of Washington being willing to transfer its technologies.

With ex-defense minister Prabowo Subianto in power, Indonesia’s efforts to upgrade its aging air and naval capabilities are in full swing. A few days ago, Indonesia and the US agreed to elevate their defense ties to a “major defense cooperation partnership”. A key pillar in this newly announced status is military modernization. 

According to the joint statement, they will explore the possibility of co-developing asymmetric capabilities, as well as next-gen defense tech in the maritime, subsurface, and autonomous system domains. It also covers the maintenance, repair, and overhaul support.

Adrianus Prima, a defense expert from Lembaga KERIS, explained that the partnership was still very nascent at this stage. Details on the scope of work, mechanism, development location, and limitations remain obscure. Adrianus admitted that it could open up ample opportunities in defense development if Jakarta followed through. However, Indonesia needs to keep in mind that the US could set up structural limitations for its submarine technologies.

"The US has a strict regulatory framework for the development and transfer of defense technology, particularly for strategic defense equipment like submarines. Indonesia is likely to face a number of restrictions, particularly regarding access to core technology," Adrianus told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.

Washington’s reluctance to make extensive transfers could stem from the status of bilateral closeness, as Jakarta maintains a non-alignment posture with major powers.

“Indonesia is a partner to the US, but it is not its official ally. So access to sensitive technology will most probably remain limited,” Adrianus said.

Beni Sukardis, a military expert of LESPERSSI, said that the partnership had its merits and drawbacks.

“The greatest opportunities lie in joint production, research and development, as well as beefing up the domestic supply chain. But Indonesia needs to be careful not to fall into long-term technological dependency or usage restrictions,” Beni told the Globe.

Defense Ministry spokesman Rico Ricardo Sirait said Jakarta acknowledged that the new US partnership could “expand the national defense capacity”. He added: “But this shall remain within the corridor of our free and active foreign policy, national interests, and full respect to state sovereignty.”

The relations upgrade was the key outcome of Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin’s trip to the Pentagon on Monday local time. It came amidst mounting criticisms over a US proposal to let American military aircraft easily fly over Indonesian airspace. According to Rico, Jakarta is still carefully reviewing the plan and has not sealed any legally binding deal.

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