US-Indonesia Major Defense Partnership Announced

The United States and Indonesia announced a new Major Defense Cooperation Partnership on Monday, formalizing deeper military ties between the two nations during a meeting at the Pentagon in Washington between U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.

The agreement, described in a joint statement as the fruit of decades of bilateral cooperation, emphasizes mutual respect for sovereignty and shared goals for regional peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific. It builds on more than 170 annual joint military exercises conducted by the two countries' forces. The partnership outlines three pillars: military modernization and capacity building, training and professional military education, and exercises with operational cooperation. Specific initiatives include co-developing advanced technologies in maritime, subsurface, and autonomous systems, as well as expanding joint special forces training and multilateral drills such as Super Garuda Shield.

Hegseth praised the partnership as a way to bolster regional deterrence. "This partnership signifies the strength and potential of our security relationship," he said in a Defense Department...