The approved 14 billion dollar arms sale to Indonesia will see US supply the country with 36 F-15 fighter jets, engines and related equipment- including ammunitions and communication systems according to the deal made by US secretary of state on his visit to Indonesia in December last year.
According to US, the arms sale worth 14 billion dollars is seen as a step in the right direction in trying to contain China’s activities in South China Sea by equipping Indonesia’s military to defend its territory and reduce China’s assertiveness in Indo Pacific region.
Although US says that the arms sale to Indonesia is ment to boost its defensive capabilities and in turn help to counter China’s assertiveness in the region, I don’t think Indonesia will be willing to use its military against PLA in the region since China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner and also the speed at which China is expanding its military is further beyond the reach of Indonesia’s military now and even in the future.
US says that 14 billion dollar arms sale to Indonesia will help to support its foreign policy goals and national security objectives by improving security of the most important partner in the region that is aforce for political stability and economic progress in Asia Pacific region.
” Its vital to US national security interests to assist Indonesia in developing and maintaining a strong and effective self-defense capabilities”, the State department said in the statement.
US has been trying to get Asean on its side with no success because of Indonesia. Indonesia is the largest economy in Asean, it has the Asean headquarters and is also the strongest military in Asean which is why US is trying very hard to bring Indonesia in its orbit but I don’t think few arms sales to Indonesia will see Indonesia abandon China. Its good news politically on the side of US but US will have to do more than that to fully bring Indonesia in its orbit.
Selling arms is good sometimes but it won’t help people bring food on the table which means US will lose this game in future if it bets on only arms sales without thinking about economic plan for the region which is increasingly depending on China for its economic growth.
The best outcome US can hope to get from such arms sale to Indonesia is that Indonesia will balance the relationship between itself with China and itself with US since Indonesia’s security depends on those two countries which means Indonesia can’t afford to pick one of them.
US has been aiming to sale arms to Indonesia but has been constrained by accusation of human rights abuse by Indonesian government which is why telling Congress that selling arms to Indonesia will help in the efforts to constrain China in the region become a better way.
As China becomes more and more powerful, US will likely increase its efforts in pushing back against China and many countries which are not careful will find themselves paying a heavy price in trying to choose one side against the other.
