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View all search resultsBringing the military back in
Under the stewardship of then defense minister Prabowo Subianto, now Indonesia’s eighth President, the military embarked on a serious military hardware modernization effort.
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President Prabowo Subianto (left in vehicle) inspects troops from a vehicle during the Operational Troops and Military Honours ceremony as he inaugurates commanders of Special Forces Command (Kopassus), Marine Corps, and Air Force Quick Reaction Command (Kopasgat) at the Suparlan Airfield, in Bandung, West Java, on Aug. 10, 2025. (AFP/Timur Matahari)
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s the Indonesian Military (TNI) celebrates its 81st anniversary on Monday, close to three decades after the military retreated from politics in the late 1990s, the armed forces appeared to make significant headway in transforming itself into a modern, professional institution.
Especially under the stewardship of the then defense minister Prabowo Subianto, now Indonesia’s eighth President, the military embarked on a serious military hardware modernization effort.
In the air domain, the military has not only stepped up its acquisition of jet fighters but also diversified their supply.
Last year, Indonesia signed a contract to buy 48 units of the Turkish-made KAAN fighter jets. In 2022, while serving as defense minister Prabowo inked a US$8.1-billion deal to purchase 42 French-made Dassault Rafale jets.
In recent years, the Defense Ministry has also explored potentials to look for non-conventional suppliers in its procurement of military hardware. The ministry is currently evaluating the options of buying China’s J-10C and Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.
Also being upgraded is the Indonesian Navy’s maritime capabilities. In July last year, Indonesia signed a deal to procure two diesel submarines of the French Scorpene class. The orders followed the contract to build patrol ships and the upgrading of corvettes and maritime patrol aircraft.
The biggest upgrade for the Navy was of course the incorporation of Italy’s aircraft carrier ITS Guiseppe Garibaldi into its fleet. Now, rechristened as KRI Sriwijaya, the 41-year-old warship is expected to strengthen the country’s maritime security and disaster response capabilities.
