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Will the US maritime surveillance drone program matter to Indonesia?
The deep involvement of the US and the money it has poured into Maritime Security Board (Bakamla) could lead to an assumption, if not allegation, that the Indonesian institution is totally in the US’ pocket.
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Gotcha: Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla) officers aboard the KN Pulau Dana-323 patrol boat spot a fishing boat under a Vietnamese flag apparently illegally fishing in the North Natuna Sea on Dec. 24, 2021. (Courtesy of/Indonesian Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla))
United States President Joe Biden is very apt at entertaining his counterparts’ desire for high-tech defense and security equipment. As reported by the media, in his bilateral meeting with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on the sidelines of recent Group of 20 Summit in Bali, Biden approved an initiative to support one of Indonesia’s maritime law enforcement agencies, the Maritime Security Board (Bakamla), with a maritime surveillance drone program.
The aid program will include procurement and maintenance of drones and pilot training.
The Biden administration expects the initiative to enable Bakamla to enhance its capabilities related to maritime domain awareness, maritime law enforcement and countering illegal fishing. The Coast Guard Capacity-Building program is one of a series of initiatives the Biden administration is willing to work together on with the Indonesian government.
The US embassy in Jakarta said that in the fiscal year 2022 alone, the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) were set to provide Indonesia with more than US$150 million in bilateral development and security assistance.
Previously, in 2020-2021, possibly under a different aid scheme, Bakamla received $3.5 million in a grant to construct a training center on Batam Island, near Singapore. Inaugurated in June of this year, the center is furnished with classrooms, barracks and a launch pad.
With all the aid Bakamla has obtained from the US so far, what can we conclude?
First, the deep involvement of the US and the money it has poured into the agency could lead to an assumption, if not allegation, that the Indonesian institution is totally in the US’ pocket. This indication is worth pondering because the US has been the most active country Bakamla has engaged with since its establishment in 2014, specifically under its last two heads.
