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La Perouse 25: Beyond Indonesia-France strategic partnership
The prevailing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, namely in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, emphasize the urgency for Indonesia to build up its collaborative combat and interoperability capacities.
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French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu receives a Pindad SS2-V4 assault rifle as a souvenir from Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin on Jan. 31, 2025, following their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
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s we entered 2025, Indonesia and France celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations. Especially in terms of defense cooperation, Indonesia and France have recorded a consequential milestone.
As part of France’s mission Clemenceau 2025, the French Navy conducted the 5th edition of the La Perouse exercise on Jan.16 to 24, involving Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The exercise aimed to increase interoperability of partner nations in a complex strategic environment.
The exercise involved 13 warships of partner nations, centered around the French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle and its Carrier Strike Group (CSG), composed of three frigates, in addition to two French Navy Atlantic2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) that were based for a month at Kertajati Air Base in Subang, West Java.
The presence of the Charles de Gaulle CSG has also led to an unprecedented port visit in Indonesia, with the Charles de Gaulle calling in Gili Mas harbor, Lombok, while the three frigates stopped in Benoa Harbor, Bali. In fact, the deployment of the French CSG highlights the importance of interoperability between different warships.
It is worth noting that if the French CSG deployment highlights Paris’ commitment to the region, it also tends to point out the importance that both countries are giving to their strategic partnership. Such a commitment can be witnessed in the three-day visit of France’s Minister of the Armed Forces, Sebastien Lecornu, to Indonesia.
After meeting with his counterpart Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and after a courtesy call with President Prabowo Subianto, Lecornu flew to Lombok to visit the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier with Sjafrie. During their meetings, both parties discussed plans to strengthen defense cooperation, including participation in joint exercises and personnel exchanges. Both parties also discussed collaboration in weapon system production, which can benefit Indonesia through transfers of technology (ToT) and job creation.
For France, Indonesia is a crucial partner as a key actor in ASEAN and in regional diplomacy. Paris has also developed significant economic ties in the region over the years and has strategic interests through its overseas territories and the 1.6 million French citizens living in the Indo-Pacific, a region where 9 out of 11 million square kilometers of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) are located.
