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View all search resultsIs the France-Indonesia defense partnership faltering?
Indonesia's defense ties with France is built on shared interests and a decade-long partnership, and while cooperation might appear to have lagged in recent years, the issue at hand is one of mutuality as Prabowo aims to achieve 100 percent of the OEF goals by 2029.
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President Prabowo Subianto (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron inspect an honor guard on May 28, 2025, during a ceremony to welcome the European leader’s visit at Merdeka Palace in Central Jakarta. (Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana)
T
he Indonesian Military (TNI) marked its 80th anniversary on Oct. 5 with its largest-ever military parade, involving 130,000 personnel and hundreds of armored vehicles, tanks, aircraft and ships. This display was a direct representation of President Prabowo Subianto’s deep commitment to strengthening national defense, highlighting his Asta Cita policy foundation and its call for strategic autonomy.
Modernizing the country’s armed forces has subsequently become one of the top priorities under the optimum essential force (OEF) program.
Prabowo has championed the TNI’s modernization since his tenure as defense minister in 2019-2024. Over the past five years, he has embarked on shuttle diplomacy for defense, visiting and strengthening defense relationships between Indonesia and like-minded countries.
Among these, France appears to top the list. The relationship was formalized in 2021 with the signing of a defense cooperation agreement (DCA) between the two nations.
Trust and confidence grew, exemplified by the visit of the highly strategic and sensitive navy aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle to West Lombok’s Gili Mas Port in January this year.
Furthermore, French President Emmanuel Macron visited Indonesia in May and toured the Military Academy in Magelang, Central Java, Prabowo’s alma mater. In return, Prabowo attended July’s Bastille Day celebrations in Paris as the state guest of honor, overseeing the Indonesian Army contingent in the parade.
This improved cooperation has yielded positive results. Of the 43 arms commitments Indonesia made between 2019 and 2025, the highest share of 26 percent among all partners is with France.
