Domestic Defence Industry Partners with Barzan to Develop Military Equipment
Republikorp and Barzan Holdings are set to develop strategic industrial and production capabilities across several key defence sectors. The domestic defence industry, Republikorp, is strengthening Indonesia’s defence capabilities by partnering with Qatar-based Barzan Holdings to develop main weapon systems (alutsista), ranging from light weapons and unmanned surface vessels to mini-submarines.
The partnership was formalised when the Founder of Republik Corp, Norman Joesoef, signed a strategic Joint Venture agreement with the Chief Executive Officer of Barzan Holdings, Mohamed Alsadah, on Tuesday. According to an official press release from Republikcorp, the collaboration will focus on developing strategic industrial capabilities in sectors including light weapons, unmanned surface vessels, mini-submarines, and various other advanced defence technologies.
The signing took place during a meeting between Indonesia’s Minister of Defence, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and the Qatari Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister, H.E. Sheikh Saoud bin Abdurrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani, at the Ministry of Defence office in Central Jakarta. This Joint Venture serves as a follow-up to previous cooperation between Republikorp and Barzan Holdings. Through this venture, the two companies have established a foundation to form ‘Republik Barzan’, an entity tasked with driving defence industry collaboration between Indonesia and Qatar.
Republikcorp expressed hope that this partnership will serve as a gateway for Indonesia to enhance the quality of its domestic defence industry. Previously, Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and Sheikh Saoud bin Abdurrahman bin Hassan bin Ali Al Thani met to sign a statement of intent regarding defence cooperation. Brigadier General TNI Rico Ricardo Sirait, Head of the Defence Information Bureau at the Ministry of Defence, noted during a press conference that the signing follows a letter of intent signed in 2021. Both parties also signed a memorandum of understanding for defence industry development.
According to Sirait, the cooperation is highly beneficial for Indonesia, as the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) will have opportunities to engage in various strategic activities with the Qatari military, such as joint combat exercises, soldier exchanges, and military education cooperation. These strategic activities are expected to improve the technical and material quality of personnel. Furthermore, the partnership is poised to strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and Qatar. Sirait described the signing as a concrete step towards making the defence relationship between the two nations more structured, mutually beneficial, and implementable through tangible programmes. Regarding the specific model of industrial cooperation, Sirait stated that the exact details have yet to be determined, and it remains unclear whether the partnership will result in the development of specific equipment or the purchase of weaponry between the two nations, noting that the current scope remains general but focused on industrial cooperation.