Indonesias New Maritime Ambitions: Implications for U.S.-Indonesian Engagement

Abstract

Indonesia lies at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region. Its new president, Joko Widodo, wants to transform Indonesia into a "global maritime fulcrum" between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. He will struggle to overcome entrenched elites, a sluggish bureaucracy, endemic corruption, limited resources, and the armys traditional dominance within the armed forces. Nonetheless, President Widodo has articulated a new maritime vision that steers Indonesia towards regional maritime power. A maritime-oriented, democratic strategic partner at the intersection of the Pacific and Indian Oceans would be a critical counterweight to China. The U.S. Navy has played its part in the incremental restoration of U.S.-Indonesian defense ties. Indonesias new maritime ambitions provide an opening to forge a closer naval partnership.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 26, 2015
Accession Number
AD1014572

Entities

People

  • Bronson Percival

Organizations

  • Center for Naval Analyses

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Indian Ocean
  • Indonesia
  • Landforms
  • Oceans
  • Pacific Ocean

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Asian Economic Studies
  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Strategic Security Studies