India, Indonesia set to boost defence ties

Close on the heels of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the India-Asean meeting earlier this month, bilateral defence ties got a boost with the visit of Chief of Air Staff of the Indian Air Force Arup Raha to the southeast Asian nation.

Raha visited Indonesia Nov 23-26 at the invitation of Air Chief Marshal Ida Bagus Putu Dunia, chief of staff of the Indonesian Air Force, during the course of which the two sides discussed the potential to further enhance defence ties, according to a statement issued by the Indian embassy here.

India's Ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh accompanied Air Chief Marshal Raha in a meeting with Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu.

The minister hailed the ongoing initiatives in the field of defence cooperation between India and Indonesia and underlined the immense scope and potential to further enhance ties in the future. They also discussed the Maritime Axis Doctrine of Indonesia and recalled the close cooperation between the two countries in the Indian Ocean.

Recalling that nine Indian companies had participated in the recently concluded Indo Defence Expo in Jakarta, the minister said these companies had productive discussions with Indonesian companies on the future prospects of joint production and transfer of technology.

Raha also visited the Indonesian Aerospace (PTDI) company at Bandung where he witnessed the production and maintenance facilities. He complimented PTDI for its efforts at indigenisation and expressed India's commitment to support the Indonesian defence industry.

Raha also visited Yogyakarta in Java and addressed cadets of the Indonesian Air Force Academy and interacted with the Jupiter Aerobatics Team at the Flying School.