T

he United States government is willing to assist President Joko '€œJokowi'€™ Widodo realize his maritime-axis vision, US Ambassador to Indonesia Robert Orris Blake says.

'€œWe stand ready to boost maritime collaboration, to complement the vision of President Jokowi,'€ Blake said in his remarks delivered in a public lecture at the University of Indonesia (UI) campus in Depok, West Java on Wednesday.

Blake said the collaboration would be aimed at intensifying cooperation in security and defense and to strengthen maritime security in Indonesia.

'€œWe are collaborating, for instance, with the Indonesian Military [TNI] to improve maritime security and to strengthen international defense,'€ he said as quoted by Antara news agency.

Blake also said the US would organize military exercises or training for the TNI to empower its maritime-security program.

The US would also help the TNI modernize itself.

'€œWe will assist in the modernization of the Indonesian Military by providing professional, world-class American military systems and technology,'€ he said.

In addition, he said the US was also ready to provide increased security in Indonesian waters using the resources of the US forces.

Blake said the assistance could be in the form of specialized military training and equipment and assistance to strengthen Indonesia'€™s maritime-defense capabilities.

'€œThis is to ensure the security of Indonesian waters and to prevent illegal fishing by foreign vessels,'€ he said.

Blake said that securing Indonesian waters was essential, since geographically, it was surrounded by oceans.

In 1991, the US Congress banned Indonesia from buying US weapons to upgrade its military weapons systems, following allegations of gross human rights violations in Santa Cruz, in the then Indonesian province of East Timor, now Timor Leste.

After more than 20 years, the US agreed to sell weapons '€” both new and used '€” to Indonesia, including 24 units of F-16 Fighting Falcon Block 521Ds formerly used by the US National Air Force Reserves, three of which have already been delivered.

In a recent development, the Indonesian Army said it planned to buy eight units of AH-64D Apache attack helicopters from their manufacturer, the Boeing Company.

If the plan materializes, the Army will operate two types of attack helicopter simultaneously, namely Mil Mi-35Ps from Russia and AH-64D Apaches from the US.

During a meeting with visiting US senator John McCain, then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono thanked him for his country'€™s support in helping to modernize the TNI'€™s weaponry system.