Singaporean Media Suddenly Highlight Kertajati Airport, What's Going On?

Singapore-based Channel News Asia (CNA) has published an analytical article titled ‘Proposed US Hercules repair hub in West Java sparks debate on what Indonesia stands to gain and lose’, reporting how the plan has raised significant questions. Many are questioning whether the project will pull Indonesia into the United States’ military architecture in the Indo-Pacific region, a new position that could contradict Indonesia’s independent and non-aligned foreign policy principles. ‘When we talk about geopolitics, this is problematic because we don’t yet know what the plan entails,’ the article quoted defence and international relations expert Yohanes Sulaiman of Jenderal Achmad Yani University in West Java as saying. It added that clarity on the facility’s exact form remains a major question mark for the public, notably whether it will be purely a logistical hub or merely a standard aerospace maintenance facility. The plan was first announced by Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin during a working meeting with parliamentary members in late May. Sjafrie revealed the unique offer came directly from US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth when they met at the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus last year. ‘He offered: ’What if I centralise maintenance for the C-130 across Asia in Indonesia at our expense?’ I reported to the president, who said: ‘Give them Kertajati’. We are working on it,’ Sjafrie explained, citing President Prabowo Subianto’s directive. The Defence Ministry has stated that discussions on the collaboration opportunity for Hercules C-130 maintenance are still in an early, exploratory phase. The CNA article also featured analysis from Alman Helvas Ali of Marapi Consulting and Advisory, suggesting the cooperation proposal will most likely proceed through a business-to-business scheme. ‘The Indonesian government is projected to act solely as a facilitator by engaging manufacturer Lockheed Martin as a technical assistance provider for a local partner,’ the article stated. However, Ali warned the main issue is the government’s lack of clear explanation to the public, cautioning that without transparent answers on who controls access and whether US military personnel will be stationed there, the issue is highly susceptible to public paranoia. Providing Kertajati Airport is seen as a government effort to boost the 1,800-hectare facility’s performance, which has struggled commercially since its official opening in 2019. Government data shows Kertajati only served around 413,000 passengers, or roughly 3 per cent of its 12 million passenger target, in 2024.