DPR's Response to the Airspace Access Agreement for the US
Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR), Sukamta, stated that his commission is overseeing the planned cooperation agreement regarding airspace access for the United States military in Indonesian airspace. He noted that the information remains speculative.
Sukamta reminded that inter-state defence cooperation agreements must be consulted with the legislative body. In particular, he said, if the strategic agreement impacts aspects of national sovereignty and defence.
“We firmly uphold the principle that national interests and state sovereignty must be the top priority in every policy,” Sukamta said in a written statement on Monday, 13 April 2026.
The plan for the United States military to secure comprehensive or blanket overflight access in Indonesian skies has become a topic of discussion on social media. The secret document was revealed by one of the US news media outlets.
Sukamta emphasised that there is no legal basis allowing a country to grant unrestricted free access to its airspace to foreign parties. Because, he said, based on national and international law, all foreign military aviation activities are required to comply with strict permitting mechanisms.
He explained that Indonesia is fundamentally in a strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region. That condition, he said, should make Indonesia committed to maintaining stability in the region.
This politician from the Prosperous Justice Party called for the planned agreement allowing US military aircraft to fly freely in Indonesian airspace to be considered thoroughly. In particular, he said, the implications for regional geopolitical balance.
“The government is expected to provide a complete, proportionate, and fact-based explanation,” Sukamta said.
In a separate statement, the Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, said that the agreement is still in the internal and inter-agency discussion stage. According to him, the blanket overflight clearance document has not yet been finalised to date.
“It does not yet have binding legal force and cannot be used as the basis for official Government of the Republic of Indonesia policy,” Rico said in a written statement on Monday, 13 April 2026.
Rico said that Indonesia retains full authority in granting airspace access for foreign military aircraft in future regulations. Every access, he said, remains based on approval or rejection of each activity in national airspace.
“Indonesia continues to uphold defence cooperation with all countries based on principles of mutual respect, mutual trust, and mutual benefit without sidelining national interests and state sovereignty,” Rico said.
In addition, he stated that every discourse and draft cooperation mechanism must still go through a careful and multi-layered discussion process. That process, he said, is carried out before the planned cooperation agreement with other countries is considered further in accordance with applicable mechanisms and authorities.
“In the Indonesian context, this means the entire process must follow statutory regulations, institutional mechanisms, and national political decisions,” said the two-star general.
Rico said that every discussion of planned defence cooperation with other countries is always oriented towards national interests. Including, he said, in order to maintain the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and fully guided by applicable national and international legal provisions. “We affirm that authority, control, and supervision over Indonesian airspace are entirely in the hands of the Indonesian state,” he said.