JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – The Indonesian government has announced its openness to allowing foreign countries to utilize Biak Island in Papua as a satellite launch site. The statement was delivered by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Rolliansyah Soemirat during a press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday (April 24).

Rolliansyah emphasized that the initiative is entirely civilian in nature and unrelated to any military or defense cooperation. “The issue of Biak’s use has nothing to do with any country’s intention to cooperate in defense or security matters,” he said.

He explained that Biak has long been identified as a strategic location for satellite launches due to its proximity to the equator. The site was previously studied by the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN), which is now integrated into the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN).

“About 20 to 30 years ago, the idea of using Biak as a site for communication satellite launches was already being discussed. However, the feasibility of such plans still requires ongoing assessment,” Roy, as he is commonly known, stated.

The plan has drawn renewed attention following international media reports suggesting that Russia had proposed using Biak’s Manuhua Airbase as a station for military aircraft. Roy dismissed the speculation, calling the reports exaggerated and unsubstantiated.

Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry previously addressed the matter on April 16, reaffirming its longstanding policy against permitting foreign military bases on national soil under any circumstances.

The Defense Ministry echoed the Foreign Ministry’s stance. Brig. Gen. Frega Wenas, Head of the Ministry’s Information Bureau, confirmed that no foreign military had requested the use of Indonesian facilities. “Such arrangements would run counter to our national interests,” he stated.

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