This content was originally published by Radio Free Asia and is reprinted with permission.
Indonesia’s defence ministry has no signed any fresh paperwork to acquire weapons from Russia, it said in a statement.
Last year, Russian internet reported that Jakarta sent an official demand for weapons and military technology from Russia over the 2025-2030 time and that the demand was under assessment.
The Indonesian ministry of defense, while no denying the reports immediately, said it “has not formally submitted any plans to mark an MoU regarding the order of weapons or new defence industry cooperation with Russia. ” An MoU, or Memorandum of Understanding, is a document specifying the intentions and goals of both factors.
“Any potential cooperation will continue to consider Indonesia’s national passions, both from an operational requires perspective and in terms of developing the national defence industry, ” the department said in a statement sent to BenarNews, a Radio Free Asia online.
It reaffirmed that Russia was one of Indonesia’s strategic partners in the defense sector, particularly in providing defense and security equipment used by the Indonesian armed forces but added that Indonesia was open to defense cooperation with various countries, “as long as the cooperation adheres to the principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for the sovereignty of nations. ”
Indonesia began receiving arms and military equipment from the Soviet Union in 1958. From 1992 to 2018, Russia delivered weapons worth more than US$ 2. 5 billion to Indonesia, including armored personnel carriers, assault rifles, aircraft, and other weapon systems and military hardware.
The defense ministry in its statement emphasized the importance of cooperation that involves the transfer of technology in order to improve Indonesia’s defense industry independence.
As territorial disputes and other geopolitical challenges rise in the region, Indonesia’s defense sector is expanding, with its arms trade estimated at US$ 9. 25 billion in 2024, and reaching$ 10. 66 billion by 2029, according to the Indian firm Mordor Intelligence.
Indonesian companies are “expanding their expertise in various defense sectors, including land vehicles, arms, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, with plans to develop more complex systems in the future, Mordor Intelligence said.
Recently Indonesia transferred military aid worth$ 500,000 to the Cambodian army, including 150 SS2-V5 A1 rifles, 20 G2 elite pistols, 500,000 M16 bullets and 500,000 pistol bullets.
