US Nuclear Carrier Passes In RI, TNI: Not Violating Rules!

The US-owned nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) (doc Wikipedia)

JAKARTA The Indonesian National Army (TNI) has ensured that the cruise of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier belonging to the United States, USS Nimitz (CVN-68), and its escort ships, takes place in accordance with international law of the sea. The ship was known to have crossed Indonesian waters in mid-June 2025 and had attracted public attention.

Head of the TNI Information Center (Kapuspen), Major General Kristomei Sianturi, in his statement at the TNI Headquarters, Cilangkap, East Jakarta, Tuesday, June 24, said that the community played an important role in maintaining sovereignty by reporting the existence of foreign warships.

He expressed his appreciation for the concern of the citizens which he considered a tangible form of the spirit of the universal defense system (Sishankamrata).

"I thank the public for their concern in reporting the existence of foreign warships. This is a form of love for the homeland and the spirit of maintaining mutual security," said Kristomei.

USS Nimitz, on its voyage, was escorted by three United States Navy fighter frigates, namely USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG-54), USS Gridley (DDG-101), and USS Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123). These ships were detected in Indonesian waters on June 17, 2025, across the Malacca Strait, before continuing their voyage towards the Indian Ocean.

Based on last observations on June 23, the combat cluster was about 100 nautical miles south of the Strait of Hormuz, the Middle East region.

Kapuspen TNI emphasized that the aircraft carrier shipping was carried out by utilizing transit cross rights as stipulated in the 1982 International Marine Law Convention (UNCLOS). In this regulation, foreign ships including warships are allowed to cross international straits such as the Malacca Strait without requiring a beach state permit, as long as it does not interfere with security and order.

According to Kristomei, this kind of activity is nothing new, considering that the Malacca Strait is one of the busiest shipping lines in the world that thousands of ships pass through every year. The Strait connects the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, as well as becomes a vital route for global trade and mobilization of inter-regional military forces.

Indonesia's position as a strategic archipelagic country makes its territory often traversed by foreign ships that use transit crossing rights.

Untuk diketahui, UNCLOS 1982 mengatur tiga jenis hak lintas laut, yakni hak lintas damai yang berlaku di laut teritoris, hak lintas transit yang digunakan di salat yang digunakan untuk pelayaran internasional, serta hak lintas laut terpulau yang mengatur percepada wilayah laut bebas melalui perairan negara terpulangkat.

The TNI emphasized that although the USS Nikemitz cruise did not violate international rules, it remains on standby and monitors all foreign ship activities in the national jurisdiction.

Monitoring is carried out as a form of commitment in maintaining sovereignty, ensuring national security, and supporting regional stability, especially in strategic waters such as the Malacca Strait and the North Natuna Sea.

This surveillance step is also part of Indonesia's national defense strategy, which prioritizes early detection, prevention, and international cooperation to protect territorial waters from all forms of threats, including potential violations by foreign military elements.