New Delhi: India and Indonesia solidified their strategic and defence ties during bilateral discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta. The high-profile meeting yielded landmark agreements, most notably Indonesia’s decision to procure the indigenous Astra Beyond-Visual-Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), making the Southeast Asian nation the very first export customer for the advanced weapon system. Alongside the breakthrough Astra agreement, Jakarta also finalized a contract to expand its defence inventory by acquiring additional batteries of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
The Indonesian Air Force aims to acquire 150 units of the Astra Mark-1A missile, an all-weather, radar-guided system developed indigenously by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL). The selection was highly influenced by the missile’s technical compatibility and its existing integration onto Russian-origin Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter jets, which both the Indian and Indonesian air forces operate. New Delhi will provide the necessary technical framework, software integration, and hardware support to seamlessly mount the weapons onto Indonesia’s existing fighter fleet.
The defense expansion comes shortly after a preliminary procurement framework established earlier this year, with Indonesia now looking to acquire multiple coastal defence batteries. Under the regulations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the export variant of the supersonic cruise missile features a capped operational range of 290 kilometres. Beyond the hardware transfer, the bilateral outcomes featured a comprehensive maritime safety framework near the critical Strait of Malacca, joint development plans for Indonesia’s strategically vital Sabang Port, and a proposed joint defence industry cooperation committee to facilitate future technology sharing.
