National interests and mil-to-mil relations with Indonesia - JFQ Forum - military relations

Joint Force Quarterly, Autumn, 2002 by John B. Haseman

Though personal military-to-military contact declined in the 1980s, the overall relationship remained good. Free and low cost equipment under the military assistance program had ended, but a booming economy provided funding for the acquisition of major systems such as F-16 fighters, which entered the ABRI inventory in 1989 after several years of planning and negotiation.

Indonesians were frustrated by limitations imposed on them. Many mid-level officers who trained in the United States during the heyday of IMET between 1975 and 1981 bided their time and awaited advancement in rank for an opportunity to exert influence on military policy.

Americans also chafed under restrictions enacted during the Moerdani era. As its economy developed, Indonesia became more important as a regional power. Its strategic location, markets, investment potential, and moderate voice in a growing nonaligned movement made it a major target of American influence, including by the U.S. military. But the 1980s was a decade of little contact with few potential Indonesian leaders attending military schools in the United States, no in-country training teams or exercises, and no naval visits.

Changing Perceptions

Military relations became a priority in 1990. Moerdani had been unceremoniously removed from his position for criticizing the family of President Soeharto. Mid-ranking Indonesian officers whose contact with the U.S. military had been restricted in the 1980s began assuming top posts in the armed forces. They quickly implemented a long-repressed ABRI desire for more contact with America. And, as promised, they began making changes.

U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) was also anxious to revive professional ties with ABRI. After the loss of naval and air facilities in the Philippines, the command policy of places-not-bases put a high priority on Indonesia.

From 1990 to 1992 the United Stakes and Indonesia conducted dozens of exercises, visits, and other exchanges between their senior military leaders. Every service was involved in areas of mutual interest from computerized gaming for the Indonesian army command and staff school to free-fall parachuting. Americans reveled in the chance to train in a new environment. Indonesians gained confidence when they found they could train as well as their counterparts.

Ship visits expanded, and Indonesia opened its shipyard in Surabaya for en route repairs to American vessels. Senior officers visited headquarters, combat units, schools, and academies. On the strategic level, when Jakarta volunteered the largest national contingent for U.N. peacekeeping operations in Cambodia, the U.S. Air Force moved one of its armored cavalry units to Cambodia. Both Indonesians and Americans expressed pleasure at the broadly developing relationship, which improved the professionalism and contributed to national and regional objectives in the process.

By the end of 1991 the relationship was progressing on a high level. Although the pace of acquisition had declined because of Indonesian funding constraints and phase-out of military grant aid by the United States, a steady series of mobile training teams, subject matter expert exchanges, ship visits, and enrollment in respective staff colleges provided ample opportunities for personal and professional contact between the two countries.