Yohanes Paskalis, Jakarta – The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, accepted the Commanding General of the United States Army Pacific, General Robert Brown, in an official visitation to strengthen the military partnership between Indonesia and the United States.
General Gatot mentioned the importance of sharing intelligence possessed by both countries. "TNI must work together with the U.S. regarding terrorism, especially since ISIS groups have expanded outside of their region which includes the Southeast Asian region," Gatot said on Tuesday, February 21, 2017.
According to him, there are currently two crucial trading routes that are prone to terrorist attacks, which are the Malacca Strait and Makassar Strait. These are the regions where the exchange in intelligence would be most essential.
General Gatot also discussed the partnerships in the education sector, which also acts as a military strengthening tool for both countries. "There would be more TNI personnel exchanges to participate in the training, either in the military or with other U.S. institutions," he said.
There are other military exchanges that can be conducted between both countries, such as the Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE).
Chief Staff of the Indonesian Army, General Mulyono, has purchased a U.S' Black Hawk as a tactical transport helicopter due to Indonesia's experience in utilizing a number of U.S. weapons system. He also appreciates U.S. army's support at the other weaponry systems, such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and Apache AH-64 chopper, that have been given to Indonesia.
Brown assures that the procurement of Apache and Black Hawk helicopters for Indonesia will meet no challenges since it has been approved by the U.S. "I am certain that the support will be a useful partnership for both sides," he stated.
General Brown views that the meeting is useful in strengthening the stability and safety of the Pacific region.
He claims that the U.S views Indonesia as something special and also says that the military partnership with the Indonesian Army, Navy, and Air Force will continue in the future. "[Our] highest praise and appreciation for TNI's support in a number of [activities] and the Garuda Shield joint exercise."
Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/news/2017/02/22/055849118/TNI-US-Military-Discuss-Intelligence