The recent visitby United States Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel — with the key agenda of the US offering the sale of Apache
helicopters to Indonesia — is largely understood as very much improved
bilateral relations, particularly between the two countries military
organizations.
The offer came about three years after US President
Barack Obama offered to "grant" 24 F16 fighter jets to Indonesia.
The US commitment to sell eight advanced attack helicopters to Indonesia reflects
the superpower's acknowledgment of Southeast Asia's biggest economy as its most
important partner in its pivot to the Asia-Pacific region. The deal to sell
Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters worth US$500 million to the Indonesian
Military (TNI), which includes pilot training, radars and maintenance, was
disclosed after a bilateral meeting between Indonesian Defense Minister Purnomo
Yusgiantoro and Secretary Hagel on Monday.
There is no news better than improved bilateral
military relations, particularly with the US, as it would mean extensive access
to the latest US military equipment that Indonesia needs. It would also mean
an assurance of the availability of spare parts for those new arms and military
equipment.
The US is the largest arms supplier, controlling 56
percent of global arms trade worldwide, according to the Stockholm
International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The latest offer to Indonesia
is important, especially because the country only resumed military ties with
the US in 2005, after nearly two decades of arms embargo by the global
superpower.
However, the ofter comes at a time when Indonesia
needs to "selectively" allocate its defense budget in order to meet
the very much expected efficiency amid the yet stable global economy, which
directly and indirectly affects the Indonesian economy. Bank Indonesia (BI)'s
emergency meeting on Thursday — which focused on financial stability — was a
signal of possible monetary tightening.
With regards to the offer by Secretary Hagel, first
of all, there needs to be a thorough examination whether or not Indonesia
really needs these "combat ready" helicopters, while observing a more
favorable global relation that does not need full-scale, let alone excessive,
military strength on its part. Indonesia, also, is not at war or under threat
of war with other countries. Even if a domestic security threat — in terms of
separatism or armed struggle — does exist, the country apparently does not need
the presence of such sophisticated attacking helicopters among its Army fleet.
On the other hand, Indonesia does need
sophisticated military equipment, for example, in the form of fighter jets with
capacity and capability that can match, if not outclass, those fighter jets
that have frequently violated our airspace so as to ensure our country's air
sovereignty. Our country also needs to improve its Navy's capability and
operability, by procuring more sophisticated submarines in order to ensure our
country's sovereignty at seas.
Essentially, the US offer is agood and positive
sign of improved relations. But, we should not immediately say "yes"
to the offer as there are many things to consider, besides modernizing our
military weaponry. Sumber Koran: The
Jakarta Post (30 Agustus 2013/Jumat, Hal. 06)