JAKARTA: Indonesia and the United States are discussing a proposal to give US military aircraft access over Indonesian airspace, Indonesia’s defence ministry said on Monday (Apr 13), adding that no deal has yet been reached.
The US is seeking “blanket overnight access” for American military aircraft through Indonesian airspace, several media outlets reported on Sunday, adding that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had approved the proposal.
The proposal will allegedly allow US aircraft overflight access in Indonesia’s airspace for emergency operations, crisis response missions and jointly agreed-upon military exercises, the New Delhi-based Sunday Guardian reported on Apr 12.
The report was then picked up by several Indonesian outlets, including CNN Indonesia and the Jakarta Globe.
The documents further indicate that the agreement follows a meeting in February between Prabowo and US President Donald Trump in Washington, where Prabowo reportedly approved the proposal to allow US aircraft in Indonesia’s airspace.
“US aircraft may transit immediately upon notification, until further deactivation notice by the United States,” according to a document titled “Operationalizing US Overflight” that the US Department of War purportedly sent to the Indonesian defence ministry on Feb 26, as reported by the Sunday Guardian.
Responding to the reports, the defence ministry said in a statement that the two countries are still discussing the “Letter of Intent”, and that there is only a preliminary draft that is being discussed internally. The draft is neither final nor binding, the ministry added.
Control over Indonesian airspace belongs to Indonesia, the ministry said, adding that deals with other countries will protect Indonesia’s sovereignty and adhere to Indonesian law.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-proposal-us-military-overflight-airspace-6053146
