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ISLAMABAD: The United States and Indonesia announced a new Major Defense Cooperation Partnership on Monday, strengthening military ties as the strategic significance of Southeast Asia&rsquo;s sea lanes gains increased attention.&nbsp;The agreement was unveiled at the Pentagon after US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, with both sides saying the framework would deepen operational collaboration, defense modernization, training and interoperability.&nbsp; According to a US-Indonesia joint statement, the new partnership rests on three pillars: military modernization and capacity building, training and professional military education, and exercises and operational cooperation.&nbsp; The two sides said they would explore initiatives in maritime, subsurface and autonomous systems, cooperate on maintenance and repair support, and expand joint special forces training.&nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2043819323601342697&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=695618f6f280be58ce22ef01cddd46d57957413f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Hegseth said the two countries already conduct more than 170 military exercises together each year.&nbsp; Jakarta stressed that any arrangement would protect Indonesian sovereignty and comply with national law. One of the world&rsquo;s major chokepointsThe significance of stronger defense ties with Indonesia extends well beyond bilateral military cooperation.&nbsp; Indonesia sits across some of the world&rsquo;s most important maritime routes, including the Strait of Malacca and the alternative Sunda and Lombok passages.&nbsp; The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says Malacca is the primary chokepoint in Asia, while a major chokepoints database at the research institute, Strauss Center, lists it among the world&rsquo;s eight major chokepoints.&nbsp; In the first half of 2025, the Strait of Malacca handled an estimated 23.2 million barrels of oil per day, making it the world&rsquo;s largest oil transit chokepoint, accounting for 29% of global maritime oil flows.&nbsp; China was the single largest destination for crude and condensate moving through the strait, receiving 7.9 million barrels per day, or 48% of import volumes, while Russian volumes were much smaller at about 0.4 million barrels per day.&nbsp; Malacca is also one of the world&rsquo;s most vulnerable bottlenecks. At its narrowest point in the Phillips Channel, it is only about 1.7 miles wide.&nbsp; Earlier EIA analysis found that more than 90% of crude oil passing through the South China Sea transited the Strait of Malacca, while about 90% of China&rsquo;s maritime crude imports moved through the South China Sea, underscoring Beijing&rsquo;s long-standing &ldquo;Malacca dilemma&rdquo; and the broader strategic value of Indonesia&rsquo;s geography.

Asia

Americas

The two countries launch a major defense partnership, deepening military ties through training, modernization and joint operations.

US, Indonesia announce major defense cooperation partnership

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;The United Arab Emirates and India on Monday signed a major liquified natural gas supply agreement worth more than $2.5 billion, while reaffirming their ambition to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032. The 10-year <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/drone-strike-hits-iraq-gas-complex-cuts-supply-official" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">LNG deal</a> was signed between ADNOC Gas, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, and India&rsquo;s state-run Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. Under the agreement, ADNOC Gas will supply 0.5 million metric tons of LNG annually to India. ADNOC Gas said the contract raises the total value of agreements supported and operated by the company to more than $20 billion and positions India as its largest natural gas customer. From 2029 onward, Indian companies are expected to account for just over one-fifth of ADNOC Gas&rsquo;s annual production capacity of 15.6 million tons. The agreement was finalized on the sidelines of a visit by <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/uae-president-al-nahyan-to-visit-pakistan-on-dec-26" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">UAE President</a> Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to New Delhi, where he held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a joint statement, the two leaders welcomed the strong growth in trade since the signing of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement in 2022 and committed to doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032. Beyond energy and trade, the two sides also moved to deepen strategic cooperation. India and the UAE signed a letter of intent to begin drafting a framework for a strategic defense partnership, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said. The proposed agreement aims to expand defense collaboration across special operations, interoperability, cyberspace, and counterterrorism. Misri said the initiative was a natural progression of existing defense ties and not a response to any specific regional developments. The latest agreements underscore the rapidly expanding economic, energy, and strategic relationship between India and the UAE, reflecting growing alignment between the two countries across multiple sectors.

Middle East

The two countries aim to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.

Articles tagged with "Defense Agreement"

US, Indonesia announce major defense cooperation partnership

UAE, India sign $2.5B LNG deal