Indonesia suspends military cooperation with Australia
January 4, 2017
Jakarta has cut all military ties with Australia pending the resolution of "technical matters." Media reports have said that offensive material was found at an Australian army base.
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Indonesia confirmed it had cut cooperation with Australia's military on Wednesday. Jakarta said "technical reasons" were behind the rift, though media reports claimed that material offensive to the Indonesian army had been found at an Australian base.
"All forms of cooperation have been suspended," said Major General Wuryanto, an spokesman for the Indonesian army. "There are technical matters that need to be discussed."
Indonesian newspaper Kompas reported that officials in Jakarta had sent a message to their Australian counterparts at the end of December officially suspending joint operations. The move came after offensive material was reportedly found by an Indonesian special forces training officer at Campbell Barracks near the Australian city of Perth.
The material allegedly insults "Pancasila," the founding principles of Indonesia - belief in god, the unity of Indonesia, social justice and democracy.
Strained ties
This would not be the first time relations between Jakarta and Canberra were tested. In 1999, Australia ended military cooperation in protest over rights abuses in East Timor. Indonesia has also cut ties once before, in 2013, over revelations that Australian spies had tapped then-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's phone.
Cooperation between the Asia-Pacific neighbors is crucial, however, for larger operations. After a 2002 attack on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, Canberra has said it is essential for the two countries to work together on counterterrorism.
President Joko Widodo had scheduled a visit to Australia in an effort to improve relations, but called off the trip due to unrest in Jakarta.
An exhibition of maritime advancement in Asia
Unmanned technology and a display of warships from a dozen countries is at the center of this year's IMDEX, a military show which also highlights how much Asia-Pacific countries are willing to invest in maritime defense.
Image: Reuters/E. Su
International exhibition
Close to 70 heads of defense and maritime agencies from 40 countries and more than 180 international companies from 28 countries are participating in the International Maritime and Defence Exhibition (IMDEX Asia) taking place from May 19 to 21 in Singapore.
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Warships
A total of 20 warships from 12 countries are being exhibited, up from nine ships and five countries two years ago. The contingent comprises patrol vessels, frigates and a submarine. They are from Australia (HMAS Perth, seen here), Bangladesh (BNS Dhaleshwari), Brunei (KDB Daruttaqwa), China (CNS Yulin), India (INS Satpura and INS Kamorta), Indonesia (KRI John Lie and KRI Tombak), among others.
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Technological advancement
Many of the innovations featured reflect key trends and developments - the modernization of navy fleets in Asia Pacific, said the organizers. Key areas of technological advancement include unmanned systems, underwater technology, and vessels suited for littoral waters. Here, an exhibitor with ThyssenKrupp Marine System demonstrates using a flight deck officer simulator for training purposes.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Rahman
Unmanned helicopter
Unmanned technology is expected to take center stage at the exhibition. The USS Fort Worth's Commanding Officer Matt Kawas was quoted by Channel NewsAsia as saying: "One of the things we are testing out in this deployment is when is it a good time to use the unmanned helicopter (seen here) versus the manned helicopter, or potentially using both."
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Underwater vehicles
This unmanned technology can be used in the air or underwater as military forces worldwide build new equipment and modernize ageing assets. Shown here is an autonomous underwater vehicle used for surveying the sea floor.
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A thriving market
According to naval analysis firm, AMI International, countries in the Asia Pacific region are expected to spend around $200 billion on new ships and submarines by 2031. High on the procurement lists are ships, naval craft, radar systems along with submarines and naval defense systems. Shown here is a scale model of the HDW Class 216 Submarine from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/R. Rahman
Arms imports
Five of the top 10 largest importers of major weapons in the world are in Asia: India, China, Pakistan, South Korea and Singapore, according to a recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). They account for 30 percent of the global volume of arms imports.
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Top Asian arms importer
India, which accounted for 34 percent of the volume of arms imports to Asia, is also making a strong presentation at the show. During the past five years, India has accounted for 15 percent of global arms imports, according to SIPRI. Shown here are Indian navy personnel onboard their Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate, INS Satpura.
