Indonesia denies reaching agreement allowing US military to use its airspace

Indonesia's Ministry of Defense denied on Monday that a final agreement has been reached allowing US military aircraft to transit Indonesian airspace for emergency operations, crisis response, and military exercises, stating that the circulated document is still a preliminary draft under internal review and not legally binding. The Head of the Defense Information Bureau at the Secretariat General of Indonesia's Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, said in a press statement that the ministry affirms that sovereignty, control, and supervision of Indonesian airspace remain fully with the Indonesian state. Sirait explained that the document is not a final or binding agreement and cannot serve as official policy, adding that any defense cooperation is carefully reviewed with national interest and sovereignty as top priorities, in line with domestic and international law. He stressed that Indonesia retains full authority to approve or reject any activity in its airspace and can refuse any proposal that does not serve its interests. The statement came in response to reports of a memorandum of understanding with the US allowing broad overflight access for emergency and training purposes, possibly based on prior notification rather than case-by-case approval, though the ministry emphasized that this remains an unfinalized MoU. The issue is sensitive due to Indonesia's strategic location in the Indo-Pacific, where its airspace and sea lanes are key routes for military and commercial movement, giving such arrangements broader strategic significance beyond bilateral ties.