India-Indonesia Defence Relations are blooming amid looming threats from China. After Delhi-Jakarta collaboration on the Sabang Port, India-Indonesia Defence Relations are further set to enhance. As per sources, India is mulling to sell highly potent BrahMos cruise missile to Indonesia, becoming the only second country to get the advanced missile from India.
India-Indonesia Defence Relations
Besides the BrahMos Missile, India has offered to supply coastal defence radars and marine grade steel to Indonesia and to service the Russian-made Su-30 jets of the Indonesian air force as part of attempts to expand defence and military relations, according to sources.
India has earlier held talks with the Vietnam government for the sale of the BrahMos, a supersonic cruise missile developed by an Indo-Russian joint venture set up in 1998. The Indian Navy inducted the missile on its frontline warships in 2005.
Though India and Indonesia have not reached a final agreement on the sale of the BrahMos, the visit of the a team from the Indo-Russian company to the state-run PT PAL shipyard on the sidelines of the Indo Defence 2018 expo late last year was a significant step forward in efforts to sell the weapon system to a foreign country.
“The BrahMos team was invited to visit the state-run ship-building enterprise and had a look at the Indonesian platform,” a person said. The inspection of the warships was focused on fitting the BrahMos system on them, the people cited above said.
Though there has been “some traction” in India’s offer of coastal defence radars to Indonesia, matters were “more advanced in considering” the BrahMos system, the people added.
A group of MPs from the commission on defence, foreign and information affairs of Indonesia’s lower house of parliament had visited the BrahMos headquarters last year, the people said.
“It is a good proposition to have deeper defence cooperation with India because it has advanced technology that it is both functional and economical,” the first person cited above said. “Indian technology is not as complicated as technology from the West as it is of good value for regional countries,” the person added.
The Indonesian and Indian armies have held exercises for several years and the first bilateral naval wargame was held last November. The first bilateral air force exercise is expected to be held in 2019, the people said.
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