JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - France’s air force made a stopover in Indonesia's capital on Wednesday, part of a visit to Southeast Asia that’s meant to display French commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing Chinese maritime activity there.
French air force mission makes stopover in Indonesia to boost security ties
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - France’s air force made a stopover in Indonesia's capital on Wednesday, part of a visit to Southeast Asia that’s meant to display French commitment to security in the Indo-Pacific region amid growing Chinese maritime activity there.
The French mission, named Pegase, visited Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusuma air force base on a weeks-long trip that also included stops in countries including Malaysia and Singapore. It showcased two Rafale fighter jets, a tanker transport plane and one A400M Airbus military transport plane.
The mission aimed to boost military cooperation between France and Indonesia, Brig. Gen. Guillaume Thomas, Chief of the 2024 Pagase mission, told a news conference after showing the aircrafts to journalists.
"We want to assert our position as a proactive regional power in the Indo-Pacific completely, dedicated to the security of the area and defending the freedom of navigation when necessary," Thomas said.