DoD wants space ties with Indonesia. It won’t be that easy
U.S. DoD officials recently met with Indonesia’s leadership, the world’s fourth most populous country, to discuss defense cooperation, with space as one of the first areas of collaboration. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin broached the subject of space collaboration with Indonesia but kept the discussion at a high level.
The U.S. has obvious reasons for wanting Indonesia as a partner. Geographically, the country sits at China’s doorstep, and economically it carries weight, with a GDP of $1.4 trillion, putting it just below Mexico in global rankings. As the world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia is no stranger to space – it has more domestic GEO satellite operators than any other country after the U.S. (PSN, Ooredoo,Telkom Indonesia, and even a bank, Bank Raykat Indonesia). Still, partnering at a defense level will be a new experience for both countries.
Indonesia is at odds with U.S. policymakers on the two biggest conflicts in recent history. It has avoided condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but swiftly spoke out against Israel’s war in Gaza. In the Asia-Pacific, Indonesia is a beachhead for China’s Belt and Road Initiative and a frequent recipient of Chinese investments. Close economic ties between Indonesia and China “dissuade Jakarta from siding exclusively with the United States,” per the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
So, how will the U.S. and Indonesia partner on space? Indonesia does not own any military satellites and only three Earth observation satellites, both optical and AIS. One obvious area of cooperation could be maritime domain awareness and the detection of illegal fishing vessels, as Indonesia has concerns about Chinese boats near its exclusive economic zone surrounding the Natuna Islands. Indonesia could also serve as a forward location for U.S. teleport and/or Space Situational Awareness (SSA) sites, but until Indonesia develops a more fulsome national security-oriented space effort, the U.S. may simply need to focus on technology exchanges to prevent Indonesia from slipping into China's orbit.
SOURCE: https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2023/11/us-indonesia-expand-defense-cooperation-starting-cyber-and-space/392104/