Sjafrie Meets US War Minister Pete Hegseth, Agree on Defence Cooperation

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Indonesian Defence Minister (Menhan) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth agreed on a Major Defence Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) between Indonesia and the United States at the Pentagon on Monday (13/4/2026) local time.

“US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met with Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin today at the Pentagon, where both leaders agreed to elevate the US-Indonesia bilateral defence relationship to a Major Defence Cooperation Partnership,” stated Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell in a statement from the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) on Tuesday (14/4/2026).

Among other aspects, this includes military modernisation and capacity building, professional military training and education, as well as operational exercises and cooperation.

Sjafrie and Hegseth committed to expanding the scope and complexity of bilateral and multilateral exercises, such as Super Garuda Shield, to strengthen collective capabilities and maintain peace.

“Both leaders reaffirmed the important and continuously developing defence relationship, and discussed various shared objectives, including enhancing special forces training and professional military education,” explained Sean.

The two countries mutually recognise each other as important partners and reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate based on mutual respect, sovereignty, and shared interests in maintaining peace and regional stability.