Strange issues?
In addition, Prabowo is keen to strengthen bilateral relations with Russia, together with protection ties. As a protection minister and elected president, Prabowo visited Russia 4 occasions, extra lately in July 2024. In February 2025, Sergei Shoigu, former Minister of Defense of Russia and now Secretary of the Russian Security Council, visited Jakarta.
According to Janes, it was both in that assembly, or shortly after, that Russia made the request to make use of the air base on the island of Biak.
Curiously, there may be a hyperlink between the 2017 go to by Russian strategic bombers with Biak and the current story of Janes.
As he famous, it was not clear why Indonesia had accepted to host the refueling mission. At the time, nevertheless, Indonesia and Russia had been negotiating the sale of 11 combating planes Su-35 for 1.14 billion {dollars}. As a part of this settlement, Russia might have requested entry to Manuhau’s aerial base (Russia has the same settlement with Vietnam for naval and aerial ranks at Cam Ranch Bay).
The Su-35 settlement was signed in 2018 however collapsed three years later, presumably because of the risk of US sanctions. But below Prabowo, the provision of Russian fight planes might now return to the desk. Has Moscow prompted the envelope by providing the Indonesia a reduction on the aeromobile in alternate for the touchdown rights on Biak?
At the tip of the day, because of the issues of sovereignty and the ideas of overseas coverage of Indonesia, it was all the time unlikely that Indonesia agreed with the request for Russia. But strangest issues have occurred.
Ian Storey is a senior member of the ISAK ISEAS – Yusof Ishak. This remark It appeared for the first time On Iseas – Yusof Ishak Institute’s weblog, Fulcrum.
