The UK and Indonesia have agreed to launch a Maritime Partnership Programme (MPP) that will see Jakarta build naval and fishing vessels using British shipbuilding expertise.
Announced by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a call with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, the 4-billion pound ($5.2 billion) MPP will be led by the British defense firm Babcock as the prime industrial partner.
It is part of a broader Strategic Partnership between the two countries, inked in November 2024.
The MPP covers sharing technologies and co-developing advanced shipbuilding methods, including automation and artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, Babcock will aim to strengthen links between UK and Indonesian educational institutions to develop expertise in precision engineering, digital vessel design, and integrated naval systems.
The vessels will be constructed in Indonesia, boosting local industry while supporting several jobs at Babcock’s Rosyth shipyard, Bristol site, and Devonport dockyard.
With Jakarta “as one of our closest G20 partners, it reinforces our joint commitment to global stability and bolsters our shared national security,” Starmer noted.
The MPP falls under the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, which supports developing countries in protecting the marine environment and reducing poverty — aligning with the Indonesian government’s aim to enhance food security and protect its marine biodiversity as the world’s largest archipelagic country.
Boosting Indo-Pacific Security
The maritime partnership “will also pave the way for greater interoperability and joint training between both navies,” according to the UK government, highlighting both countries’ vows to maintain freedom of navigation and support a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific.
It builds on previous defense cooperation between London and Jakarta, including the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group joining forces with its Southeast Asian ally as part of the eight-month Operation Highmast.
Moreover, the MPP indicates that the UK sees Indonesia — the Southeast Asian country with the second-largest defense expenditure in 2024 after Singapore — as an increasingly important player in the region, and aims to deepen its strategic footprint there.
Meanwhile, Jakarta’s partnership with a major European power like the UK helps diversify its security partnerships and build credible defense capacity.
“The programme marks a new phase in the Indonesia-UK bilateral relationship. This collaboration will mutually drive our economies, create high-quality jobs, and more importantly, advance Indonesia’s shipbuilding and defence capabilities,” Subianto stated.
