Defence Minister Discusses US Meeting and Peacekeeping Troops While Gathering Retired Officers
Jakarta - Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin discussed several current issues during a meeting with retired high-ranking TNI officers at the Ministry of Defence office in Jakarta on Friday (24/4/2026).
Head of the Defence Ministry’s Information Bureau, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that one of the topics discussed was the outcomes of Indonesia’s cooperation with the United States (US) following Sjafrie’s meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Monday (13/4/2026).
“That matter was updated by Minister Sjafrie regarding the activities he carried out, particularly the most recent one with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth some time ago,” said Rico at the Ministry of Defence office in Jakarta on Friday.
Rico mentioned that the programme forms part of the future TNI strength-building plan, where the government targets the construction of 150 Territorial Development Battalions each year.
Meanwhile, the retirees provided input to Sjafrie and TNI Headquarters, particularly regarding the overflight clearance requested by the US.
Rico noted that the Letter of Intent (LoI) or statement of intent related to overflight clearance is a proposal from the US side and is currently in the internal review stage by the Indonesian government.
When asked about the US warship USS Miguel Keith detected passing through the eastern waters of Belawan, Malacca Strait, Rico assured that it was not discussed in the meeting.
According to him, the ship was passing through the international ALKI route, which guarantees freedom of navigation, so no violation occurred.
Rico said the meeting also discussed TNI peacekeeping troops in Lebanon as well as geopolitical developments impacting the Strait of Hormuz.
He claimed that most retirees responded positively to the explanations from the Defence Minister and TNI Chief, particularly regarding future strength development.
According to Rico, this forum keeps the retirees following developments even though they are no longer active in the TNI or the Defence Ministry.
He emphasised that all inputs received will serve as evaluation material for the Defence Ministry and TNI Headquarters in formulating national defence policies.
It was previously reported that Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin gathered several retired TNI generals at the Ministry of Defence on Friday (24/4/2026).