Indonesia’s military reorganisation is its biggest this century
Indonesia has embarked on its most comprehensive military restructuring in decades, responding to domestic priorities while also strengthening national defence. The changes include creation of new regional commands and strengthening of air and naval components.
Before this reform, Indonesia maintained 15 regional military commands (komando daerah militer, or kodam) spread across the archipelago. This month, President Prabowo Subianto presided over a major troop review at Batujajar, West Java, at which the new commands and other units were established.
The reorganisation is the most extensive since the days of president Suharto, who left office in 1998.
It aims to strengthen territorial coverage by placing units in strategically important regions. Beyond physical deployment, the approach emphasises integration with local communities, highlighting the role of the Indonesian National Armed Forces as both a security provider and a people’s army. This is about not only the ability to deploy force but also about reinforcing the traditional close connection between the armed forces and society.
Alongside structural reforms, Indonesia has expanded its equipment modernisation effort. In the air domain, acquisitions include 48 Kaan fighters ordered from Turkey in July, adding to 42 Dassault Rafale fighters that France will begin delivering in 2026, while evaluations of the US F-15EX and China’s J-10C are ongoing. Diversity of supply is traditional Indonesian military policy, intended to avoid overreliance on any single country. It also conforms with a long-standing principle of non-alignment.
Naval commands and maritime capabilities are also being strengthened. Indonesia contracted in July for two diesel submarines of the French Scorpene class; Indonesia shipbuilder PT PAL is to construct them. This follows orders for patrol ships and for upgrading corvettes and maritime patrol aircraft.
On the ground, the addition of new territorial brigades reinforces the well-established doctrine of integrating military presence with population centres. By placing units closer to local communities, the armed forces seek to enhance readiness while preserving its identity as a force rooted in society. With more than 17,000 islands and around 270 million people, this territorial approach ensures that the armed forces can respond quickly to internal security challenges while maintaining a visible presence in remote and border areas.
Cyber and information security have also emerged as areas of focus. The armed forces have a dedicated cyber unit, although the government has not proceeded with a proposal to create a cyber force alongside the navy, army and air force. Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin says the armed forces can instead collaborate more closely with civilian organisations and with other countries, such as Singapore.
Domestically, the security situation is relatively stable. The terror threat is now much reduced from a peak in 2000 to 2005, and separatist activity in Papua has been contained through a combination of persuasion and targeted operations. Nonetheless, the government emphasises vigilance to prevent small threats from escalating. The reorganisation and modernisation of the armed forces are designed to ensure resilience against both traditional and hybrid threats.
All this represents a significant step in adapting the country’s defence structure to contemporary challenges. By combining expanded territorial commands, new combat units, major acquisitions of advanced aircraft, and attention to cyber resilience, the reforms are reshaping Indonesia’s armed forces for a new era of regional and global uncertainty.
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