Indonesia surprisingly has a lot in common with Madagascar, the largest island in both Africa and the Indian Ocean. But Jakarta is also an Indian Ocean nation and has a strong legacy of leadership in the Global South. There are also good reasons for Indonesia to deepen its defense ties with Madagascar, particularly in maritime security cooperation. Indonesia could provide Madagascar defense cadets with greater access to military education programs in Indonesia, building on limited past initiatives. On an economic and multilateral level, Indonesia could bring Madagascar closer to ASEAN.