Defence Ministry Asserts US Military Aircraft Overflight Permissions Not Included in MDCP Agreement

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence (Kemenhan) has affirmed that the issue of overflight clearance requested by the United States (US) is not included in the Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) agreement between the two countries.

Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Kemenhan Secretariat General, Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, confirmed this in response to the developing public issue regarding Indonesia-US defence cooperation.

“That (the US aircraft flight permission agreement) is not in the MDCP,” said Rico to reporters on Tuesday (14/4/2026).

It is known that previously, Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin met with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Washington D.C., on Monday (13/4/2026).

“In the discussion process, Indonesia has made several important adjustments and affirmed that the document is non-binding, not automatically applicable, and still requires further discussion through applicable technical mechanisms and national procedures,” said Rico.

Kemenhan also stated that it has made several adjustments to the proposal while still considering national interests, foreign policy principles, and state sovereignty.

Rico emphasised that this meeting is based on principles of mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutual benefit.

From that meeting, both countries agreed to elevate cooperation to MDCP, which was formalised through a joint statement on 13 April 2026.

Rico explained that MDCP is a strategic framework to expand bilateral defence cooperation, including capacity development, next-generation defence technology, enhancement of operational readiness, and professional military education.

Kemenhan views this cooperation as an opportunity to strengthen national defence capacity, while prioritising an active and independent foreign policy and respect for state sovereignty.