RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The Indonesian government is accelerating efforts to modernize the defense sector by strengthening strategic cooperation with Japan, particularly in technology transfer and military human resource development.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that the agreement includes concrete collaboration in the defense industry and personnel capacity building. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin stated that the agreement was made with each country’s national interests in mind.

“The partnership with Japan is an important step to promote the independence of the domestic defense industry. Japan is considered to have advantages in defense technology, particularly in developing primary weapons systems, which Indonesia can learn from.

Cooperation between Indonesia and Japan takes into account each country’s national interests,” said Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in a joint statement with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi at the Ministry of Defense office in Central Jakarta on Monday, May 4, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

According to Minister Sjafrie, collaborating with Japan in the defense industry is a strategic move that will strengthen the domestic industry. The cooperation is expected to result in technology and knowledge transfer that will improve production quality and innovation in the national defense sector.

The two countries also agreed to expand cooperation in humanitarian missions, particularly in disaster management, which is a critical issue in the Asia‑Pacific region.

Details of the cooperation were discussed during a closed‑door meeting between the Indonesian and Japanese delegations at the Ministry of Defense office in Jakarta. The meeting is scheduled to conclude with the signing of a defense cooperation contract between Ministers Sjafrie and Shinjiro. ***