Indonesia to Continue Sending Soldiers to France for Military Training

TheIndonesia.co - Indonesia and France agree to continue bilateral defense cooperation, including in primary weaponry system (alutsista) and military training, where more than 300 Indonesian military personnel have completed education program in the European country.

Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto and French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly met in Jakarta on Thursday, February 10. In the meeting, delegations from the two countries followed up on a number of issues related to agreements in defense sector after the signing of Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in June last year.

“We comprehensively discuss a number of issues. And as we all know, Indonesia and France have established defense cooperation since the 1950s, and currently, our bilateral relations are at the highest level after the signing of DCA on June 28, 2021. The parliament surely needs to ratify it, so we can implement it optimally,” Subianto said in after the meeting.

Among the cooperation focuses discussed in the meeting is training and education for military personnel, including to continue exchange program and planned visit of Indonesians marines to New Caledonia. In addition to that, more than 300 Indonesian soldiers have completed their training in France, in a 2021 education program.

The bilateral meeting also saw the signing of a number of agreements, including purchase agreement of six 6 Rafale fighter aircrafts between the Ministry of Defense’s Defense Facilities Agency and French manufacturer Dassault, as part of a larger contract involving 36 Rafale fighter aircrafts.

Other agreements signed in the occasion were memorandum of understanding (MoU) on submarine research and development cooperation between PT PAL and Naval Group, MoU on offset and transfer of technology (ToT) cooperation between Dassault and PT DI, MoU on cooperation in telecommunications sector between PT LEN and Thales Group, and cooperation to manufacture large-caliber munitions between PT Pindad and Nexter Munition.

Parly said France is committed to actively support Indonesia’s massive strategic programs and the development of its defense industry.

“Indonesia’s choice to use Rafalle aircrafts shows its trust in France as well as a strong and dynamic strategic partnership between the two countries. The signing of agreements is an important step in the procurement of Indonesia’s primary weaponry system, and France hopes the agreement can immediately be enforced,” Parly said.