Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo: Enhancing Indonesia’s Multilateral Defence Diplomacy?

Frega Wenas Inkiriwang

doi:10.1177/18681034211008905

Abstract

Defence diplomacy has gained attention in the past decades. Hence, Indonesia has also developed its defence diplomacy for achieving its strategic interests. In Indonesia’s defence diplomacy, bilateral forms have dominated the practice of joint exercises with its defence partners. However, under the Yudhoyono administration in 2014, Indonesia hosted its first multilateral joint exercise, the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK), which aimed at facilitating multilateral engagement with greater international partners. This exercise was continued by the Widodo administration as a biannual event in the following years. Since this multilateral exercise has rarely been studied, this article attempts to qualitatively examine how this exercise has developed and contributed to Indonesia’s multilateral defence diplomacy. To support the analysis, this article relies on a combination of documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews, including with numerous participants of past MNEK exercises in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Highlights

Defence diplomacy has become more important in recent decades
An analysis of the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) is vital in understanding how Indonesia has employed this exercise for its multilateral defence diplomacy activity and strategic interests
Based on the four motives of Indonesia’s defence diplomacy identified by the previous study on Indonesia’s defence diplomacy and two joint military exercises, the “Garuda Shield” and the “Sharp Knife” (Wenas Inkiriwang, 2020a), this article attempts to examine these four motives that have driven the conduct of the multilateral military exercise, MNEK

Summary

Introduction

Defence diplomacy has become more important in recent decades. Indonesia, a Southeast Asian country, has developed its defence diplomacy to pursue its strategic interests. The exercise has helped implement Indonesia’s defence diplomacy by offering more opportunities for the Indonesian navy personnel to engage with their international partners, as this exercise allows all participants to interact and train together (interview with an Indonesian Navy officer, 22 January 2019). This rising participation has indicated the significance of the MNEK for countries in the region since the exercise helps foster defence co- operation between countries and militaries (interview with an Indonesian Navy officer, 14 April 2019).

Results

Conclusion