However, the government has acknowledged that there is a great disparity between those in urban areas and rural communities. Therefore, it needs a comprehensive road map that involves various stakeholders – both private and governmental – to reach those disadvantaged by Indonesia’s vast geography.

Thales Group (Thales Indonesia) is a historical partner that supports Indonesia with its three pillars of growth, space, digital and defense. For over 40 years, it has offered various digital solutions and contributed to the development of Indonesian infrastructure.

In 2019, Indonesia’s Communications and Information Ministry appointed domestic satellite operator Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN) to deploy and operate a telecommunications satellite. A PSN-led consortium then appointed Thales’ aerospace arm, Thales Indonesia.

The satellite, named SATRIA, is expected to be Indonesia’s biggest and most powerful satellite. SATRIA is aimed to provide a 5G connection with over 150 gigabytes per second to Indonesia’s most remote areas.

“With this satellite project, we are influencing the lives of people who are located across the archipelago,” said Olivier Rabourdin, country director of Thales Indonesia. “It’s not just about [customers and contractors], but also the people whose lives we are connecting.”

The program also aims to enrich local engineers and talents from Indonesia. For example, PSN will be sending its engineers and employees to specific and dedicated training sessions to improve their skills and knowledge.  “Eventually, we want to see PSN operating the SATRIA without any assistance from Thales,” explained Rabourdin. “In the end, the most important goal is [Indonesia’s] autonomy, independence and sovereignty.”

Country director of Thales Indonesia, Olivier Rabourdin, at the Thales Indonesia headquarters in Sudirman, Jakarta, on Monday. (Photo: TJP/.)

Developing sovereign products is the main keyword in Thales’ vocabulary in the context of its relationship with Indonesian stakeholders. The company wants to accompany Indonesia’s modernization through technology and knowledge transfer. “We greatly adhere to the Merah Putih [related to Indonesian red-and-white flag, national-focused] policy in order to have Indonesia increase its capacity to manufacture its own equipment, especially in the defense unit.” said Olivier.

On April 20, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo launched DEFEND ID, a state-owned holding company for the defense industry consisting of five state-owned enterprises (SOEs) specializing in defense and related technologies. Indonesia’s Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto emphasized that the holding must reach the goal of having 50 percent local content in its portfolio by 2024.

One of the SOEs within DEFEND ID is state champion PT Len Industri (PT Len), Thales’ longtime partner. In 2017, Thales and PT LEN signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in research and development for combat management systems (CMS). It includes the technology transfer of TACTICOS CMS for ships under the Indonesian Navy.

To Thales and PT Len, technology transfer is not just a marketing word, but a reality. For example, PT Len is developing software for combat management systems with Thales helping develop an application crucial to the software’s architecture. In the end, PT Len will be fully responsible for the production toward the end stage.

“We are permanently in contact with the Defense Ministry to attain a better understanding of their operational needs and what they want in terms of capabilities,” Olivier added. “The Indonesian Armed Forces’ needs in particular are very ambitious, especially considering Indonesia’s geopolitical standing.”

Aside from working with defense SOEs, Thales has also been a key partner in air defense and the national command and control equipment. Extending its expertise in air control to the civil domains, Thales has also provided various solutions for air traffic management and signaling systems for railways.

From Nov. 2-5, Thales will be showcasing its upcoming solutions at the Indo Defense 2022 Expo and Forum for international defense and security equipment manufacturers.

While Thales remains a strong strategic partner in defense solutions, it also aims to integrate better into Indonesian society by offering civil solutions. “In the end, Thales’s focus isn’t only on its users and customers but also the people; the communities in Indonesia that we help,” Rabourdin concluded. “In the end, it’s all about adding a human touch to the solutions that we create.”

This article is published in collaboration with Thales.