October 21, 2020

Indonesia rejects US P-8 ASW&ISR aircraft on Natuna Islands

Reuters reports, October 20, 2020 on the Indonesian rejection: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-indonesia-usa-exclusive/exclusive-indonesia-rejected-u-s-request-to-host-spy-planes-officials-idUSKBN2750KX 

Indonesia's Natuna Islands (see map below) are strategically located on the southern edge of the South China Sea and contain a dual-use civil-military airport/base (photo below) that could take US, Australian and New Zealand P-8 Poseidons. The location and runway make it highly likely that this is the Indonesian base that Indonesia could use to cater for US P-8s. The base could refuel and provide  low level (some spare parts) maintenance for US P-8s. Indonesian navy ships and submarines can already visit Indonesia's small naval base on the Natuna Islands. See details here and here.


The map above marks Indonesia's Natuna Islands (point 4) which are geographically at the center of Indonesia’s seaspace claim into the South China Sea – a claim which partly overlaps with China's so-called nine-dash line that envelopes most of the South China Sea. (Map courtesAsia Maritime Transparency Initiative via the Sydney Morning Herald)
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Above is the Indonesian civil-military airport on Natuna Besar.
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Both the map and photo are from James Massola’s and Amilia Rosa’s, Sydney Morning Herald article of June 27, 2020, reporting an ongoing geopolitical Indonesia-China standoff, at https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/natuna-an-idyll-on-the-front-line-between-indonesia-and-china-20200617-p553g2.html.

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