South China Sea: Why costly weapons alone can’t help Indonesia tackle China’s ‘grey-zone coercion’

Jakarta is set to spend US$125 billion on new weapons, but it faces a range of challenges to modernise its military amid maritime dispute with Beijing in the Natunas

Indonesia, however, has to tread carefully given its economy depends on China and in a sign of balancing act, it continues to do defence drills with both the US and the Asian power

4-MIN READ4-MIN

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (centre) inspects troops during his visit to a military base in the Natuna Islands. File photo: Indonesian Presidential Office via AP

Published: 10:23am, 15 Dec 2022

Indonesia is confronting challenges overhauling its ageing military despite a spending splurge to face down threats that include a long-running territorial dispute with its biggest trading partner, China.

Incursions by Chinese vessels into waters around the Natuna Islands, between Malaysia and Indonesia, have put Jakarta on alert. The government recently relocated a major naval fleet command to Riau, near the islands, after starting construction on a submarine base last year. It also announced plans to spend US$125 billion on new weapons, despite a shrinking defence budget.

But expensive weapons can’t solve all of Indonesia’s defence challenges. Its reliance on several foreign suppliers – including Russia – over the years means its existing hardware is burdened by interoperability problems, said Evan Laksmana, senior research fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

Military efficiency is also hampered by a glut of new recruits and a rapid system of rotation that can see troops change roles after a matter of months, he said.

“You can get all the new hardware you want, but if you don’t improve the quality of the man behind the gun then it doesn’t really matter,” Laksmana said.

Tensions between China and coastal nations along the South China Sea have been rising for years as Beijing asserts its claim to a vast swathe of the resource-rich waters. While open conflict is unlikely, nations across Asia and Southeast Asia are rushing to improve their defences for a range of scenarios, and the US and its allies are eager to help.