T

he Indonesian Navy is waiting for President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s approval to establish a central region armada command (Armateng) to ensure strong maritime security.

Currently the Navy has two commands: the Western Region Armada Command (Armabar) with headquarters in Jakarta and the Eastern Region Armada Command (Armatim) in Surabaya, East Java.

'€œWe are ready and waiting for the President'€™s order. We have enough resources and weaponry systems,'€ Navy spokesperson Commodore Manahan Simorangkir told The Jakarta Post in Jakarta on Monday.

Manahan said that the central armada would be based in Makassar, South Sulawesi.

He said that there would be no problem in securing personnel for the new command.

'€œThe new armada will run effectively under a good command,'€ Manahan said, adding that the Navy expected the President to issue a decree on the central armada soon.

Currently the Navy is busy strengthening Armatim and Armabar by developing six naval bases near the country'€™s borders.

Navy chief Admiral Ade Supandi said that Armabar and Armatim would each get three new naval bases.

'€œThe Naval bases for Armabar will be constructed in Jakarta, Sumatra and Tanjung Pinang. Meanwhile for Armatim we will build bases in North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara,'€ Ade said last month.

Military expert Iis Gindarsah said that the plan to establish the central armada would gain good momentum after the Jokowi administration completes its five-year defense blueprint.

'€œNaval build-up is the centerpiece of the President'€™s maritime vision,'€ Iis said.

He said the new armada command would be an integrated element of a joint area defense command (Kogabwilhan) to secure the central part of Indonesia.

Kogabwilhan aims to integrate the regional resources of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force into multi-service groups that will be positioned at certain defense flash points integral to preserving the country'€™s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Each Kogabwilhan group will be equipped with its own fleet of warships, jet fighter squadrons and Army units. Each group'€™s commander, a three-star general, will be given the authority to respond without having to go through red tape at the TNI headquarters in Jakarta.

Defense Ministry spokesperson Brig. Gen. Djundan Eko Bintoro confirmed the Navy'€™s plan, saying that based on the military'€™s strategic planning, Indonesia should establish Kogabwilhan.

To create Kogabwilhan, the Navy will have three commands '€” Armabar, Armatim and the upcoming central armada '€” while the Army should have Division I, Division II and Division III and the Air Force will have operation Commando I, II and III.

'€œThe establishment of each Kogabwilhan will be independent but integrated with each other. We target that the Kogabwilhan plan will be achieved at least by 2024,'€ Djundan said.

According to him, the Defense Ministry had accomplished all matters related to legal issues such as regulations and budget for Kogabwilhan.

'€œIt is up to the Indonesian Military to execute the program,'€ he said.

President Jokowi has given his approval on Kogabwilhan, designed for flexible and rapid troop deployment.

The idea to build Kogabwilhan was actually raised in 2008 under the leadership of Jokowi'€™s predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who failed to issue a regulation endorsing the formation of the new structure.

The previous government had reportedly planned to have four Kogabwilhan groups covering several flash points in Aceh, Natuna in Riau Islands, Papua and Atambua in East Nusa Tenggara.