Connie Rahakundini Bakrie Warns of the Dangers of the US Blanket Overflight Proposal for Indonesia
Defense analyst Connie Rahakundini Bakrie has cautioned President Prabowo Subianto along with the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs regarding a proposal for blanket overflight access for United States military aircraft through Indonesian airspace. This proposal, sent on April 14, 2024, analyzes the Pentagon document 'Operationalizing U.S. Overflight' dated April 12, 2024. Connie stresses that Indonesia's airspace constitutes full and exclusive sovereignty under international and national law, and that this proposal could weaken the operational control of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) and conflict with the country's free and active foreign policy.
According to Connie, if approved, this proposal would place Indonesia in a dangerous position by weakening the national air defense system, creating blind spots in radar coverage, and reducing control over foreign military traffic. She states this could turn Indonesia into a strategic transit node within the Indo-Pacific military architecture without strict oversight.
In response, the Ministry of Defense, via Brigadier General Rico Sirait, stated that the document is still an initial draft in the stage of internal and interagency discussion and does not yet have legally binding force. The Ministry of Defense affirmed that any defense cooperation with another country would prioritize national interest and the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), through a careful, layered discussion process in accordance with applicable law.
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