Indonesia-US Defence Cooperation Not Consulted with DPR
Member of Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR) Tubagus Hasanuddin stated that his commission has not been involved in discussions regarding the defence cooperation agreement between Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence and the United States’ Department of War.
According to him, to date, the DPR has not received any information regarding the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) agreed upon by the two countries on 13 April 2026, including matters related to US military overflight permissions in Indonesian airspace, which are still under discussion.
“We have not received any explanation from the government,” he said when contacted on Wednesday, 15 April 2026.
He explained that every political decision, peace, defence, and national security taken by the Ministry of Defence must go through a ratification or approval process by the DPR.
In addition, other decisions that require DPR approval include matters concerning national sovereignty or sovereign rights, human rights and the environment, the establishment of new legal norms, and foreign loans or grants.
In the context of the planned blanket overflight clearance agreement or airspace permission for the US, he said, the Ministry of Defence is fully obligated to consult with the DPR, particularly Commission I, which oversees defence, foreign affairs, intelligence, and communications. “Agreements of this nature must go through a ratification process in the DPR because they concern strategic aspects of national sovereignty,” he said.
Furthermore, Hasanuddin also questioned the content of the MDCP cooperation that has been signed by Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and US Secretary of War Pete during their meeting at the Pentagon, United States, last Monday.
He reminded that every decision concerning national defence must have DPR approval. “We await developments and explanations from the Ministry of Defence,” he stated.
Previously, Indonesia and the United States officially signed the MDCP cooperation. This agreement emphasises three main pillars as the foundation for strengthening defence relations between the two countries. “(1) military modernisation and capacity enhancement; (2) professional military training and education; and (3) exercises and operational cooperation,” states the official cooperation document on the US Department of War website, quoted on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Defence is currently discussing blanket overflight access cooperation (comprehensive overflight access) in Indonesian airspace. Head of the Defence Information Bureau of the Ministry of Defence Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait said that the proposal regarding airspace transit permissions in Indonesian territory for the US military is still being discussed internally by the government.
In the discussions, Rico assured that Indonesia has made several important adjustments. “We also emphasise that the document is non-binding and not automatically applicable, and still requires further discussion through applicable technical mechanisms and national procedures,” Rico stated in a press release on Tuesday, 14 April 2026.
As reported by The Sunday Guardian on Sunday, 12 April 2026, discussions regarding overflight permissions in Indonesian airspace are said to be a follow-up to the high-level meeting between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and US President Donald Trump held in Washington in February. That meeting is also seen as marking a significant shift in the scope of US military operations in the Indo-Pacific region.