The Jakarta Post
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsFuture warfare driven by AI, not battleships, former Navy chief Marsetio warns
Counting conventional assets like warships, fighter jets and troop numbers is no longer an accurate metric of military strength as the ultimate deciding factor in modern geopolitical standoffs is digital sophistication.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Set as preferred source
Navy Col. Bagus Jatmiko (second right), head of the War Gaming Center at the Indonesian Naval Staff and Command College (Seskoal), speaks on Tuesday during a session discussing security aspects in artificial intelligence and cyberspace in military operatons as part of the CyberDSA 2026 event in Kuala Lumpur. The event, running from Monday to Wednesday, also includes an exhibition for companies in AI and cyberspace. (JP/Novan Iman Santosa)
I
ndonesia must shift its defense paradigm away from traditional military hardware and toward artificial intelligence and cyber warfare capabilities, warned former Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Adm. (ret) Marsetio.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Cyber Digital Services, Defence & Security Asia (CyberDSA) conference in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, Marsetio urged Indonesian decision-makers to rapidly overhaul national defense doctrines to adapt to the realities of modern conflict.
"In my personal opinion, future warfare is not just about multidomain operations," Marsetio told The Jakarta Post following a panel on digital conflict and strategic competition.
"What matters most is how we leverage AI and cyber capabilities to win battles."
Marsetio emphasized that his warnings echo recent, yet widely overlooked, policy statements from President Prabowo Subianto during the Indonesian Military’s (TNI) 81st anniversary on Monday regarding technological literacy within the armed forces.
"President Prabowo’s remarks on the necessity for officers to understand technology, AI and future warfare are vital, yet they have received surprisingly little media coverage," Marsetio noted.
According to the retired admiral, counting conventional assets like warships, fighter jets and troop numbers is no longer an accurate metric of military strength. Instead, the ultimate deciding factor in modern geopolitical standoffs is digital sophistication.
