Pentagon Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met Indonesian Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin at the Pentagon on Monday.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell issued a readout of the session.
Hegseth and Sjamsoeddin agreed to elevate the U.S.-Indonesia defense relationship to a Major Defense Cooperation Partnership. The MDCP establishes a formal framework to deepen bilateral defense ties and advance shared goals of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
It rests on three core pillars: military modernization and capacity building; training and professional military education; and exercises and operational cooperation.
Under the new partnership, the two countries will pursue joint projects in cutting-edge areas such as asymmetric capabilities, next-generation maritime, subsurface, and autonomous systems technologies, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul support. They also agreed to expand joint special forces training and professional military education programs to strengthen bonds between their service members.
They pledged to broaden bilateral and multilateral exercises, including SUPER GARUDA SHIELD, to build capabilities and advance Peace through Strength.
Hegseth praised Indonesia’s role in the Board of Peace and its leadership in the International Stabilization Force.
