Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG) are progressively enhancing their defense relationship, underscoring a shared commitment to regional stability and mutual security. This growing partnership is characterized by educational exchanges, joint border security initiatives and a broader geopolitical alignment within the Indo-Pacific.
Indonesia recently opened its military schools to young officers and cadets from PNG to enhance military capabilities and foster knowledge exchange, Indonesian Defense Minister and President-elect Prabowo Subianto said after meeting with PNG Prime Minister James Marape in Jakarta in mid-July 2024.
“I have offered since last year for educational institutions in the TNI [Indonesian Armed Forces] to be open to young men and women from PNG — their young officers, their cadets, we invite them,” Prabowo said. “Also, for the [Indonesian] Defense University, we also open opportunities for them. They really appreciate it.”
The educational collaboration serves as a platform for building long-term relationships and understanding among military personnel, Teuku Rezasyah, an international relations lecturer at Indonesia’s Padjadjaran University, told FORUM. “It creates solidarity with officers of a certain age because it is estimated that in the next 20 years they will become leaders in both countries in the military.”
Indonesia and PNG have also focused on border security cooperation. The nations share a 760-kilometer border, a region historically marked by challenges such as smuggling and illegal immigration.
“Joint border patrols and military exercises are central to their cooperation, aimed at ensuring security and preventing cross-border crime,” Dave Laksono, an Indonesian lawmaker who oversees defense issues, told FORUM. “These joint efforts not only help maintain stability along the border but also serve as a critical measure for preventing regional conflicts.”
The defense partnership has been formalized through agreements in areas such as public transport regulation, trade, health sector cooperation and educational exchanges. Marape and Indonesian President Joko Widodo met in Indonesia’s West Java province in mid-July 2024 to discuss cooperation on cross-border transportation and other initiatives.
The defense relationship extends to broader regional initiatives, with both countries engaging in military exercises to enhance interoperability and operational coordination, such as the multilateral air exercise Pitch Black, hosted by Australia in July and August 2024. “Joint military exercises at sea, on land and in the air enhance interoperability between the armed forces of both countries,” Laksono said.
The cooperation is crucial for building capacity to respond to emergencies and regional conflicts, he added.
Indonesia and PNG are increasingly engaged in multilateral defense activities, reflecting their strategic alignment within the region. PNG also has signed defense pacts with Australia and the United States as part of its strategy to modernize its defense capabilities and strengthen its regional security posture.
The ratification of a defense cooperation agreement between Indonesia and PNG underscores the nations’ deepening ties.
“It will be great to see, now and into the future, Indonesia and PNG forces working closely together, side by side, on our borders, within our country, within their country, sharing knowledge, training, [and] many other things,” PNG Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said in February 2024.
