In a primary-of-its-kind deal worth about $500 million, the u. s. has agreed to sell eight new Apache AH-64E attack helicopters and Longbow radars to Indonesia, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said here today.
Hagel announced the deal during a joint news conference with Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro after productive meetings this afternoon with Yusgiantoro and earlier today with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The secretary is visiting Indonesia as component of an eight-day, four-nation trip that has included a stop in Malaysia and may take him this week to Brunei and the Philippines.
“Providing Indonesia these world-class helicopters is an example of our commitment to assist build Indonesia’s military capability,” Hagel said.
The U.S. military will train Indonesian pilots and assist in developing tactics, techniques and procedures for operating within the Southeast Asian security environment, a senior defense official said, adding that details of the delivery and coaching timeline are being determined.
The agreement represents a vital advance in military capabilities by a key U.S. partner and is this kind of investment the usa believes is prudent to support security within the Asia-Pacific region, the official said.
The new capability “will help Indonesia reply to a variety of contingencies, including counterpiracy operations and maritime awareness,” he added.
“The Usa is committed to working with Southeast Asian nations to grow defense capabilities and deepen military-to-military cooperation with all of our partners,” the official said.
During the scoop conference with Yusgiantoro, Hagel said it’s been impressive to observe a democratic Indonesia grow to be some of the important contributors to peace and prosperity, not just in Asia, but in addition globally.
“Helping make sure the region’s security and prosperity is a goal america strongly shares,” the secretary said. “The strong and enduring security partnership that was built between the us and Indonesia is a relationship the usa greatly values.”
Hagel said President Barack Obama looks forward to his October visit to Indonesia and to deepening ties between both countries.
Progress on security includes increasingly complex exercises between both militaries, and growing defense, trade and high-level policy engagement, the secretary added.
The two militaries recently launched an initiative to share best practices in defense planning and management to extend Indonesian military capability, Hagel said, and next month america and Indonesia will cohost a counterterrorism exercise under the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus.
ASEAN is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose 10 member states are Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Defense ministers from these nations attend the yearly ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting, or ADMM. And the ADMM-Plus is made from ASEAN members and 8 dialogue partners: the us, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, New Zealand and Russia. This year’s ADMM-Plus meeting could be start tomorrow in Brunei.
Hagel said the U.S. welcomes Indonesia’s leadership in promoting regional security cooperation through ASEAN and regional forums which includes the East Asia Summit.
“The U . s . is committed to further strengthening the U.S.-ASEAN relationship and that i watch for meeting with my counterparts this week on the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting- Plus in Brunei to handle the various security challenges we are facing on this region,” he said.
Developing long-term and enduring solutions to challenges like maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, counterterrorism, and the peaceful management of disputes within the South China Sea demands greater cooperation and respect for rules and norms among all parties and the institutions that underpin them, the secretary noted.
“I am also pleased if you want to announce that the U.S. and Indonesia have pledged mutual support and cooperation at the search and recovery of U.S. personnel missing from World War II,” Hagel said.
Several Indonesian ministries have oversight of such requests, including defense, education and culture, and research and technology. All have agreed to process future requests from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, a joint task force in the Defense Department whose mission is to account for Americans listed as prisoners of war, or missing in action, from all past wars and conflicts.
The Usa believes that about 1,800 U.S. personnel are still missing in action from World War II within the waters and lands of Indonesia, a senior defense official said, adding that while not all are recoverable, current research indicates that hundreds ultimately might be found and taken home.
“The Usa commitment to this effort is critical to our personnel serving today,” Hagel said, “to shed light on that we stand by our pledge to go away nobody behind.”
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