Major Power <i>Wannabe</i>: Military Modernization, Status Signaling, and Indonesia’s Foreign Policy under Yudhoyono and Widodo

Abstract Conventional perspectives on military modernization typically emphasize the logic of threats and the influence of domestic factors. However, these existing frameworks frequently neglect the social dimension of military modernization, concentrating instead on the rational calculations involved in decision-making and the effects of strategic culture on policy formulation. This paper fills this gap by proposing an alternative perspective on military modernization through the lens of status signaling in international relations. This paper employs Indonesia as a case study, specifically the administrations of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during his second term (2009–2014) and Joko Widodo (2014–2024). Under their leadership, Indonesia has experienced significant military modernization aimed at enhancing its national defense capabilities. The central claim of this paper is that Indonesia’s military modernization serves as a means of status signaling, projecting an image of the nation as a major power to the international community. Since the country has traditionally been regarded as a middle power, Indonesia’s major power aspiration challenges traditional perceptions of the country’s status and creates a contradiction in its international standing.