Indonesia hasn’t signed a new weapons deal with Russia: ministry

Indonesia’s defense ministry has not signed any new documents to purchase weapons from Russia, it said in a statement.

Last week, Russian media reported that Jakarta sent an official request for weapons and military equipment from Russia over the 2025-2030 period and that the request was under review.

The Indonesian ministry of defense, while not denying the reports directly, said it “has not officially submitted any plans to sign an MoU regarding the purchase of weapons or new defense industry cooperation with Russia.” An MoU, or Memorandum of Understanding, is a document specifying the intentions and objectives of both sides.

“Any future cooperation will continue to consider Indonesia’s national interests, both from an operational needs perspective and in terms of developing the national defense industry,” the ministry said in a statement sent to BenarNews, a Radio Free Asia affiliate.

It reaffirmed that Russia was one of Indonesia’s strategic partners in the defense sector, particularly in providing defense and security equipment used by the Indonesian armed forces, but added that Indonesia was open to defense cooperation with various countries, “as long as the cooperation adheres to the principles of transparency, accountability, and respect for the sovereignty of nations.”

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Indonesia began receiving arms and military equipment from the Soviet Union in 1958. From 1992 to 2018, Russia delivered weapons worth more than U.S. $2.5 billion to Indonesia, including armored personnel carriers, assault rifles, aircraft, as well as other weapon systems and military hardware.

The defense ministry in its statement emphasized the importance of cooperation that involves the transfer of technology in order to improve Indonesia’s defense industry independence.

As territorial disputes and other geopolitical challenges rise in the region, Indonesia’s defense sector is expanding, with its arms trade estimated at $9.25 billion in 2024, and reaching $10.66 billion by 2029, according to the Indian firm Mordor Intelligence.

Indonesian companies are “expanding their expertise in various defense sectors, including land vehicles, arms, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles, with plans to develop more complex systems in the future, Mordor Intelligence said.

Recently Indonesia transferred military aid worth $500,000 to the Cambodian army, including 150 SS2-V5 A1 rifles, 20 G2 elite pistols, 500,000 M16 bullets and 500,000 pistol bullets.

Pizaro Gozali Idrus in Jakarta contributed to this report.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a news organization affiliated with BenarNews.