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Russia Attempts to Secure Military Aircraft Base in the Pacific, Rebuffed by Indonesia
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Indonesia has denied claims that Russia submitted an official request to base military aircraft on its territory, following a report that sparked concern among Western allies, particularly Australia, Defense and security outlet Janes reported on April 14.
Janes stated that this week Moscow had formally asked Jakarta for permission to deploy Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft—including long-range bombers—at Manuhua Air Force Base in Biak, located in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua.
Russia wants to deploy its military aircraft near key US and Australian facilities – namely, at an air base in Papua New Guinea, 1200 km from the Australian city of Darwin.
The request was allegedly made following a February 2025 meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu and Indonesian Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
Documents obtained by Janes suggested that Russia sought to base aircraft at the facility, which shares its runway with Frans Kaisiepo Airport.
The base currently hosts Indonesia’s Air Force Aviation Squadron 27 and the newly established 9th Air Wing, which has yet to receive any aircraft.
No specific aircraft types or numbers were listed in the reported request. However, according to Janes, Russia has in recent years submitted ad hoc requests to land long-range Tu-95 bombers and Il-76 transport planes at the same location—some of which were approved.
However, the Indonesian government has now firmly rejected the existence of such a request. According to Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles, his Indonesian counterpart told him directly that the reports were “simply not true,” The Guardian reported on April 15.
“[He] said to me in the clearest possible terms, reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true,” Marles said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in, underscoring Canberra’s opposition to growing Russian influence in the Indo-Pacific.
“We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region,” he said. “We stand with Ukraine. We regard Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law.”
Australia, which is currently in the midst of an election campaign, has emphasized the geopolitical risks of any Russian military presence in Southeast Asia.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton called the reported move “destabilizing” and warned it could shift the regional security calculus. “Putin is not welcome in our neighborhood,” he said.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong confirmed the government was actively seeking clarification from Jakarta. “We’ve reached out to confirm those reports and to understand what the status of those requests from Russia are,” she said.
Analysts have voiced skepticism over the feasibility of such an arrangement. Yohanes Sulaiman, a defense expert at Jenderal Achmad Yani University, said Indonesia’s military is traditionally wary of allowing foreign powers to establish military footholds in the country. “Even if Russia is proposing to use an Indonesian airbase, I doubt that the government will allow it. There will be a very significant blowback,” he noted.
Indonesia has long maintained a policy of “independent and active” foreign engagement, shunning formal alignments with military blocs. While it conducts exercises with the US, Australia, and China, Jakarta has walked a careful diplomatic line amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier, countries Defense Ministers Sjamsoeddin and Shoigu pledged to deepen bilateral defense ties during their meeting—just months after Indonesia held its first joint naval drill with Russia near Java. That cooperation came as Indonesia joined BRICS, the economic bloc co-founded by Russia.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
