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Power projection and integrated force: Key for the TNI's future warfare
Despite a seemingly good political or economic partnership, Indonesia cannot disregard the high possibility of confrontation in the South China Sea.
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Touching distance: A China Coast Guard vessel takes a flanking maneuver on Jan. 11, 2020 in Indonesian waters off Natuna Island, as viewed from an open hatch on Indonesian Navy warship KRI Usman Harun-359. The naval vessel was on a routine patrol to dispel illegal fishing boats in Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat)
T
he trend of future warfare and the growing perception that the maritime domain will continue to play an essential role in major armed conflicts have been substantiated in the past few years in the Black and Red seas.
In the Indo-Pacific region, and more particularly in the South China Sea, prevailing tensions tend to confirm that a potential regional conflict will be a maritime one before anything else.
Interestingly, in Southeast Asia, strategic anxieties have prompted states, including Indonesia, to continue modernizing their defense posture to adapt to the global security dynamics. For the past few years, Indonesia has been modernizing its defense sector not only to meet the operational needs of the Indonesian Military (TNI), but also to adjust to the evolving threats.
Entering 2024, it seems that Jakarta’s commitment to modernizing its armed forces remains amid two major ongoing issues that the country is currently facing: the current domestic political climate following the presidential election and the increasing tensions in the South China Sea.
In March alone, the media reported the procurement plans for various weapons systems, including surface-to-surface missiles and offshore patrol vessels for the Navy. The TNI will also upgrade the operational capabilities and develop maintenance training for its CN-235 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) following the United States Department of Defense authorization of the proposal.
While such efforts are increasingly crucial and reflect the government’s enduring commitment, it is important to identify the right strategy to be able to address the current and future challenges that the TNI is facing and might encounter, especially in the maritime domain.
In other words, arms acquisition to fulfill the ideal quantity that could later be deployed to defend Indonesia’s vast territory alone will not be enough. The TNI will also need to be able to project its power to deter potential aggressors and defend sovereign interests to remain relevant.
