Australia Deploys F-35s to Indonesia for Military Exercises
An F-35A Lightning II Fighter Jet completes an aerial maneuver | Source: U.S. Navy
Australia deployed six F-35 fighter jets to Manado, Indonesia for the first time in a joint military exercise between the Royal Australian Air Force and the Indonesian Air Force during the week of September 20. According to Australian Air Vice-Marshal Glen Braz, Exercise Elang AUSINDO seeks to promote “mutual cooperation, trust and understanding” between the two forces.
F-35A Lightning II jets constitute the Royal Australian Air Force’s first fifth-generation combat aircraft. Earlier this year, Australia purchased 72 F-35As for approximately $16 billion from their manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. They possess a significant advantage over conventional aircraft due to their elite stealth capabilities and advanced sensor equipment.
Exercise Elang AUSINDO encompassed offensive and defensive air combat drills, basic fighter jet maneuvers, and air-to-air refueling. The exercise involved personnel from France, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and twelve other countries participated as observers. Australian Squadron Leader Paul Anderton emphasized Australia’s focus on “integrating with the Indonesian F-16s and providing joint training to each other.” Unlike Australia’s F-35As, the Indonesian Air Force received many of its F-16s from the United States in 2014 under a transfer of excess defense articles.
Australia–Indonesia security cooperation has accelerated in recent months due to fears of Chinese aggression in the South China Sea. Three weeks prior to Elang AUSINDO, Canberra deployed five battle tanks to the Indonesian island of Java in a joint exercise with Indonesia and the United States. This marked the first time Australia had deployed tanks outside its territory since the Vietnam War.
Earlier this year, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles met with his Indonesian counterpart, Prabowo Subianto, to discuss joint military cooperation. Subianto highlighted that Australia–Indonesia cooperation could “make an important contribution to regional peace and stability.”
The close bilateral ties between the two nations also benefit the United States. The Biden administration has emphasized the importance of strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific region to combat Chinese influence. In May, President Biden hailed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for his “shared commitment to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
Bilateral military exercises such as Elang AUSINDO allow Australia and Indonesia to practice seamlessly communicating and processing data in real time. Creating this interoperability is critical for projecting deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region and enabling an effective military response in the event of a crisis.
China views the drills as a threat to its own security. It has previously criticized U.S. alliances in the region, comparing them to a Pacific version of NATO meant to contain China’s influence.