Amid geopolitical tensions, can new Indonesian President Prabowo refresh his aging military?

This trilateral construction is what “worries most” Indonesian defense planners, Ridzwan thinks, “because it has opened another front in this conflict between great powers in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Should a war break out between China and the United States, he added, “some of the fighting, if not (most) of the fighting, will take place within Indonesian waters because of how the hot spot positions are based “.

When Aukus was first announced in 2021, Indonesia was also concerned that it “could trigger an arms race in the region,” Storey said.

Some observers may think that Indonesia’s own military buildup could also be a cause of this arms race. “However, there are no signs among Indonesia’s current leaders that they are adopting a confrontational policy as in the past,” Khairul said.