Indonesian defense to modernize its arsenal
According to the Jakarta Post, Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto held a string of meetings with chiefs of staff from the Indonesian Military (TNI) earlier this week to discuss plans to modernize the country’s primary weaponry system.
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FNSS Kaplan / PT Pindad Harimau, a joint Turkish-Indonesian light tank (Picture source: Army Recognition)
Recently, the minister held a meeting with Army chief of staff Gen. Dudung Abdurachman to discuss plans on modernizing the Army’s defense equipment, the Jakarta Post reports: “Defense Minister Prabowo discussed with the Army chiefs of staff and his aides on plans to modernize the Army’s weaponry system as well as the Army’s readiness to defend Indonesia’s sovereignty,” read a statement issued by the ministry’s public relations bureau.
Following the meeting, Fadjar told reporters on Wednesday, January 5, that the country had opted to back out of a US$1.14 billion deal to purchase Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 fighters, and instead had narrowed its choice to U.S.-made F-15 and French-made Rafale fighters: “Regarding the Sukhoi Su-35, with a heavy heart, we have abandoned that plan as the development of air defense is very dependent on the budget,” Fadjar said as quoted by kompas.id.
According to a draft presidential decree that circulated in June 2021, the Indonesian government planned to spend $125 billion in the next three years to upgrade and modernize its military arsenal., the Jakarta Post recalls Critics have said the spending proposal, which was expected to be exclusively financed through foreign loans that must be fully disbursed by 2024, came at a particularly sensitive time as the country’s economy was still struggling to recover to the pre-pandemic level.
The Indonesian Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD), literally "Indonesian National Military-Land Force") is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,000 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR) "Civil Security Forces" first emerged as a paramilitary and police corps.
The Indonesia Army is composed of a headquarters, 15 military region commands, a strategic reserve command KOSTRAD, a special forces command Kopassus, and various adjunct units. It is headed by the Chief of Staff of the Army (Kepala Staf Angkatan Darat – KSAD or KASAD).
