Jakarta. The US has named defense modernization as something it wishes to focus on when engaging with Indonesia, as Washington doesn’t want ASEAN nations to rely on it too much for regional security.

US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby is on a Southeast Asian trip, with ASEAN chair Manila being his first stop. In a speech at the Stratbase Institute, Colby called Indonesia a “pivotal strategic actor”. He then pointed to the bilateral “major defense cooperation partnership” that they had just announced a few months back. This pact covers military modernization, including a possible co-development of the technologies. 

“We are focused on tangible defense modernization and deep interoperability, including through enhanced joint special forces training, that directly bolsters Jakarta’s sovereign capabilities,” Colby said on Monday.

“We want a strong, independent Indonesia capable of securing its own vast archipelago."

Colby — who will soon travel to Jakarta — reiterated Washington’s stance that it is “looking for partners, not protectorates”. The senior Pentagon official gave his word that the US remains engaged in Asia as Washington presses its allies to spend more on defense. 

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth had similarly called countries to increase their share of the security burden by pursuing military improvements at the Shangri-La Dialogue in late May. Hegseth also praised Jakarta for “making important strides as it modernizes its armed forces”.

Indonesia — now led by former militaryman Prabowo Subianto — doesn’t shy away from allocating huge budgets for defense, although the spending is relatively low compared to the size of the economy. In 2026, the Defense Ministry gets to spend no more than Rp 187.1 trillion or $10.5 billion, almost Rp 83.5 trillion ($4.7 billion) will go into arms purchases. The entire defense-related budget nears Rp 337.4 trillion or nearly $19 billion.

The Prabowo administration has gone on an airpower shopping spree, including 48 units of the Turkish-made KAAN fighter jets and most recently, 12 units of Italy’s M-364F aircraft. The Indonesian Air Force operates the American F-16s, among others.

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