Pakistan, Indonesia deepen defence ties

January 13, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan and Indonesia have agreed to fast-track the creation of joint working groups on defence production, marked a concrete step toward institutionalizing defence ties between the two countries.

The development emerged during a high-level visit by Indonesian Defence Minister Lt Gen (Retd) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to Pakistan, according to the press release.

During the visit, he held separate meetings in Rawalpindi and Islamabad with Minister for Defence Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, and Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir.

At the Ministry of Defence Production, both sides agreed to expedite Joint Working Groups focused on defence production collaboration, a move aimed at linking defence manufacturing entities from Pakistan and Indonesia.

Pakistan highlighted local capabilities in defence manufacturing, while the Indonesian side expressed interest in moving from dialogue to structured cooperation.

The talks also extended beyond industry. Meetings with Pakistan’s military leadership focused on strengthening institutional linkages, training exchanges, capacity building, and cooperation in aviation, aerospace, and emerging defence technologies.

The Pakistan Air Force briefed the Indonesian delegation on its modernization initiatives, including infrastructure upgrades, training reforms, and induction of new operational capabilities.

Indonesia’s defence minister acknowledged Pakistan Armed Forces’ operational experience and expressed interest in expanding cooperation across air, land, and industrial defence domains.

He also welcomed participation in future collaborative platforms, including defence exhibitions, as a means to identify commercial and technical partnerships.

Pakistan and Indonesia, both major Muslim-majority countries in South and Southeast Asia, have maintained longstanding defence and diplomatic relations.

The latest engagements signal an effort to translate political goodwill into structured defence cooperation at a time when regional security dynamics and defence self-reliance are gaining prominence.

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