Military Modernisation and Civil-Military Relations in Indonesia

Chapter 5: Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto’s Defence Diplomacy: Strategy and Implications for Military Modernisation

Prabowo Subianto, in his role as defence minister (2019– 2024), embarked on a series of extensive official overseas visits, show- casing a robust commitment to defence diplomacy as a central pillar of Indonesia’s national security strategy. These strategic engagements were designed to forge international partnerships to bolster Indonesia’s mili- tary modernisation, particularly within the framework of the Minimum Essential Force (MEF) scheme. This chapter examines the strategy of Indonesia’s defence diplomacy under Prabowo Subianto and its implica- tions to military modernisation. Prabowo’s frequent international engage- ments marked a departure from his predecessor who emphasised more on domestic engagements. This study analyses the approach and outcomes of Prabowo’s defence diplomacy, notably its impact on the Indonesian National Armed Forces’ (TNI) arms modernisation plan. The study also highlights several key challenges, namely coordination issues between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outdated equipment, and fiscal management concerns. The chapter’s focus on the impacts of defence diplomacy on Indonesia’s military modernisation is the primary contribution of this study to the existing literature on Indonesia’s defence diplomacy.

Keywords Military modernisation · Defence diplomacy · Defence economy · Minimum essential forces · Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI)

Introduction

Recent studies on Indonesian defence diplomacy underscore several recur- ring themes that emphasise its strategic significance. There are three notable categories. The first category explores the role of defence diplo- macy in serving strategic objectives through protection of sovereignty and national interests (Anwar, 2014; Lubis, 2022). The next group of literature examines defence diplomacy as a tool to fulfill military interests, such as enhancing Indonesia’s military capabilities through educational exchanges, joint exercises (Ferisetiadi et al., 2022; Inkiri- wang, 2021a, 2021b), and peacekeeping missions (Khoirunnisa et al., 2022; Sudarsono et al., 2018). The third category covers the role of defence diplomacy in supporting Indonesia’s defence industry by fostering strategic partnerships with foreign nations to facilitate tech- nology transfers and military modernisation (Riyadi & Dewi, 2022, p. 88). Together, these categories demonstrate how defence diplomacy not only fosters international cooperation but also strengthens Indonesia’s security, military readiness, and strategic position.

Despite the valuable insights from the above mentioned studies, several critical gaps remain. One significant shortcoming is the insufficient atten- tion given to the specific actors involved. While many studies examine diplomatic strategies and outcomes, they often overlook military leaders and government agencies, as well as the critical role of civil-military rela- tions. Military dominance risks narrowing diplomatic approaches and sidelining civilian oversight within the Ministry of Defence, as opera- tional priorities overshadow strategic and governance-focused objectives. Weak coordination between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also hampers the alignment of military priorities with broader foreign policy goals. Moreover, idiosyncratic factors and personal interests further complicate decision-making and priority-setting, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics shaping Indonesia’s defence diplomacy. Without addressing these issues, Indonesia’s defence diplomacy may struggle to achieve its full potential in pursuing national interests.

Additionally, there is a notable need for more comprehensive empirical evaluations of how defence diplomacy initiatives directly affect national defence objectives. Many existing studies fall short in providing a holistic analysis of the practical effects of diplomatic efforts and policy implemen- tations. While they may describe various aspects of defence diplomacy, they often lack an integrated view of how these efforts interact with and influence broader defence policies, such as military modernisation. Current studies often do not fully assess the practical impact of these diplomatic efforts on meeting the objectives of national defence policies, such as the fulfilment of Indonesia’s Minimum Essential Force (MEF) scheme.

The objectives of this study are twofold. First, it examines the contri- butions of Prabowo’s defence diplomacy towards military modernisa- tion. Second, the study elaborates the impact of defence diplomacy on the country’s civil-military relations. This chapter also juxtaposes MEF fulfilment-related defence diplomacy activities with the progress of the modernisation programme and overall defence spending. Such a focus aims to comprehend how defence diplomacy contributes to achieve MEF targets. By doing so, this study can provide the information on the align- ment of resource allocation with national defence policies and objectives which are closely related to the efficacy of national defence capabilities. To elaborate the discussion, this chapter is structured as follows. First, it discusses the focus and strategy of Indonesia’s defence diplomacy in general. The next two parts will discuss Prabowo’s overseas visits and his overall defence diplomacy strategy. The final part will be the conclusion for this chapter.