India will supply Indonesia with long-range missiles, an Indian official said Tuesday, giving Jakarta and New Delhi a new defence agreement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Indonesia.
President Prabowo Subianto hosted Modi in Jakarta during a three-day visit, with cooperation on the BrahMos missile system at the centre of the talks. Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that an agreement for “cooperation on BrahMos System” had been reached.
Jaiswal said the two governments also agreed on air-to-air missile cooperation that “enhances technology collaboration and defence capabilities.” The terms of the missile arrangement were not disclosed, and an Indonesian defence ministry spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Modi framed the meeting as part of a broader defence and maritime push between Asia’s two largest democracies. He said the relationship rested on “growing trust” between Jakarta and New Delhi, including cooperation in “defence, security and maritime affairs.”
“Today, we reached an agreement to enhance defence exchanges, disaster management, and industrial cooperation,” Modi told reporters after meeting Prabowo.
The two leaders also agreed that their coast guards would work together on maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean, according to Modi. The talks moved into economic territory as well, with both sides agreeing to cooperate on critical minerals, stainless steel and rare earth magnets.
Prabowo said Indonesia and India viewed economic cooperation as “one of the main pillars” of their relationship. He said both sides had agreed to raise bilateral trade and speed up talks on a preferential trade agreement.
Modi is due to travel to Australia and New Zealand after leaving Indonesia.
