Indonesia Chooses a Side

Trump’s new defense deal with Jakarta, pillar of the Non-Aligned Movement, is big news. It's also part of a larger strategy to tighten American control over the world's — and China’s — chokepoints.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (right) and Indonesian Minister of Defence Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin greet one another during an honour cordon at the Pentagon on Apr 13, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.

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by Rod D. Martin
April 16, 2026

Indonesia doesn’t choose sides. It’s a point of pride. For seventy years, the country has been a founding pillar of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Yet this week, Indonesia signed a defense agreement with the United States. “Earthquake” barely covers it.

On Monday, Washington and Jakarta signed what the two parties are calling a “Major Defense Cooperation Partnership.” The agreement covers military modernization and capacity-building, training and professional military education, exercises and operational cooperation, and cooperation on “sophisticated asymmetric capabilities” and next-generation maritime, subsurface, and autonomous technologies.