Internal warnings reveal a government split over risks that blanket access for US warplanes could drag Indonesia into foreign conflicts
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenMaria SiowPublished: 3:11pm, 15 Apr 2026A leaked plan to grant the US military sweeping overflight access to Indonesia’s airspace has triggered a domestic backlash over concerns that Jakarta is “colluding with the aggressor” amid Washington’s war on Iran.Analysts say the defence document, first reported by New Delhi-based newspaper the Sunday Guardian, raises concerns that President Prabowo Subianto may be trading away Indonesia’s strategic independence.The proposal, which reportedly emerged following a meeting in February between Prabowo and US President Donald Trump, is said to grant American military aircraft “blanket” overflight access to the Southeast Asian nation’s airspace for contingency operations, crisis response and joint exercises.AdvertisementIndonesia’s defence ministry on Monday acknowledged the existence of the plan but said it had not been finalised, describing it as a draft “letter of intent” still undergoing review. It further stressed that the government maintained full control of Indonesian airspace.
Behind the scenes, divisions have emerged. According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, Indonesia’s foreign ministry sent a letter marked urgent and confidential to the defence ministry in early April warning that granting blanket overflight rights risked entangling Jakarta in foreign conflicts.
