Indonesian Marine Corps Strengthens Ties with US Marines

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Navy Marine Corps is seeking to strengthen relations and military cooperation with the United States Marine Corps.

The effort to reinforce cooperation came as Commander of the 2nd Marine Force, Major General TNI (Mar) Oni Junianto, together with Deputy Assistant for Operations to the Chief of Naval Staff (Waasops Kasal) Rear Admiral TNI Mochammad Riza and Head of the Navy’s Maritime Security Centre Colonel Rio Henrymuko, attended the RIMPAC Distinguished Visitors (DV) Day, held as part of the multilateral Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 exercise in Hawaii on Friday.

According to an official press release received in Jakarta, the delegation of Indonesian Marine Corps officials was received directly by Deputy Commander Major General Matthew T. Mowery.

The presence of the Indonesian Marine Corps officials also served to visit their personnel who had been in Hawaii from the outset to take part in RIMPAC.

Following the visit, Oni Junianto and other Indonesian military officials had the opportunity to inspect the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) and receive a briefing on the vessel’s operational capabilities and combat readiness.

For context, RIMPAC is the world’s largest multinational maritime exercise, involving 31 countries, with around 30,000 personnel, 28 warships, 5 submarines, 30 combat aircraft, and 20 land force elements. The exercise, taking place in Hawaii from 24 June to 31 July, aims to enhance interoperability, professionalism, and strengthen maritime defence cooperation in addressing a range of regional and global security challenges.