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View all search resultsAnalysis: Army undergoes massive expansion despite absence of real external threats
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Indonesian military (TNI) troops prepare at the National Monument (Monas) complex for deployment on Aug. 31, amid the widespread anti-government protests and rioting over issues such as extra pay for lawmakers, in Jakarta. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
T
he Army is creating 750 new battalions of combat troops in the next four years to ensure presence in every district nationwide, but in the absence of a credible explanation of where the new external threats are coming from, the plan raises speculations about the real motive.
It reinforces the notion of creeping militarization of the country under the government of President Prabowo Subianto. Since taking charge in October 2024, the former Army general has brought in more military types, active or retired, to help him run the administration, including assigning jobs normally reserved for civilians.
Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin recently gave more details of the plan to strengthen the Army from the existing 120 battalions of infantrymen. A battalion, whose size varies between 300 and 1,300 depending on its mission, would be deployed in each of the 514 regencies and municipalities in the country. The new recruits would be trained in both military disciplines and some civic skills, including farming.
Sjafrie, who was Prabowo's peer during their military years, said the Army expansion is consistent with the 2025-2029 National Mid-Term Development Plan (RPJMN). Neither he nor anyone else in the Indonesian Military (TNI) had bothered to spell out what kind of threats to the national defense the massive deployment will deal with, raising the specter of the military intruding further into national security, which by law is the domain of the police.
The Army expansion does not appear to be affected by the current austerity measures imposed by the Finance Ministry on most other government agencies to release more funds for Prabowo's signature policy of feeding all of Indonesia’s nearly 83 million children with free nutritious lunches daily. The National Nutrition Agency, created to manage the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) program, is run mostly by military officers. The military is also helping to run some MBG kitchens and distribute the free meals to schools.
The Army territorial expansion is consistent with the ongoing TNI plan to set up an Army regional command (Kodam) in every single province in the country. Prabowo inaugurated six Kodam in August, bringing the total to 21. TNI still has 17 more to go.
A new TNI Law enacted in March also extended TNI’s mandatory retirement age to 55 years, 58 for mid-ranking officers, and up to 67 for senior rankings.
