JAKARTA-(DM) : US and Indonesian
military ties are growing as
evidenced by US participation in the
recent US-Indonesian joint-funded
Counterterrorism Exercise (CTX) held
Sept. 5-13 at Indonesia’s
peacekeeping forces training center
in Sentul, West Java.
Participants included all special
operations forces of the 10
Association of Southeast Asian
Nations member countries, plus
eight counterpart states: the US,
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South
Korea, China, India and Russia.
However, Indonesia’s best special
operations force, the infamous
Kopassus, was excluded from
participating in the CTX due to past
US complaints about human rights
abuses by the unit during the 1999
East Timor crisis, in which civilians
were murdered, kidnapped and
tortured.
The Indonesian National Armed
Forces (TNI) is implementing military
modernization efforts, but excluding
Kopassus remains a problem, experts
say. The TNI suffered from the US
arms embargo after the 1999 crisis.
The Kopassus are the best trained
and disciplined unit within TNI, and
exclusion from training opportunities
by the US will be difficult.
The US allowed the Kopassus to
attend the CTX, but only as
observers. The CTX was divided into
several programs, including a
tabletop exercise, practical exercise,
discussions, information sharing and
special simulation.
“Kopassus, just like US special
operations, operates according to
rule of law and under the direct
control by civilian authorities,” said
US Army Col. Mike Lwin, with Special
Operations Command-Pacific, who
led the US team to the CTX. “We
know there are some problems in
the past, and there are some
processes that we are working
through on both sides, but I think
in general, we look forward to
increase engagement over the future
in accordance with our political
direction with Kopassus. We see the
need for increased relationships, and
we are moving there. But we take
guidance, of course, from our civilian
leaders.”
Though planning for the CTX began
in April 2012, a Kopassus source said
the decision to exclude the elite
unit from the tabletop exercise was
made only days before the event
officially kicked off. The tabletop
exercise was fully funded by the US
military.
In the wake of humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief
operations that followed the tsunami
in Indonesia’s Aceh province in
2004, the US reviewed its restriction
on arms sales and military
cooperation with Indonesia. The US
imposed the restriction after the
Indonesian government failed to
stop violence from taking place in
East Timor amid the 1999
referendum for independence.
The revision was implemented in
stages, first by lifting the embargo
on US sales of non-lethal equipment.
Contemporary threats — including
terrorism and the rise in tension in
the South China Sea — were part of
the US motivation for change.
“Respecting the rule of law is a
must, and countering terrorism
should not be left alone to the hand
of legal enforcers as it requires total
response from all elements of the
nation,” Indonesian Deputy Defense
Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told
Defense News. “We could achieve
success in countering terrorism if we
are able to deeply understand the
philosophic and universal principle
of terrorism, which has now been
able to develop its modus operandi,
ranging from the low-level to the
high-level intensity.”
During his recent visit to Indonesia,
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
announced the US plan to sell a
fleet of AH-64E Apache attack
helicopters to the Indonesian Army
for $500 million. As part of the
package, the US also will offer
training to Indonesian pilots on
tactics, techniques and procedures
for operating the Apache. The TNI
expects to receive the first two
Apaches by 2014, with final delivery
by 2019.
In 2011, the US agreed to sell 24
used F-16 Block 25 fighter aircraft for
US $700 million. As part of the deal,
the US will upgrade the fighter jets
to Block 52, to include supplying 18
air-to-ground missiles and 36 captive
air training missiles.
The two squadrons of F-16s will join
16 Russian-made Sukhoi fighters —
eight Su-27s and eight Su-30s — for
the Indonesian Air Force. Another
squadron of South Korean-built T-50
Golden Eagle trainer jets is
scheduled to arrive in 2014.
The Indonesian Navy is also
undergoing modernization. Next
year, the Indonesian Marine Corps
will receive light patrol vessels,
amphibious tanks and rockets. Two
South Korean-made Chang Bongo-
class submarines are slated to arrive
next year, followed by a joint project
with Indonesia’s state-owned PT
Penataran Angkatan Laut (PT PAL) to
produce a similar type of submarine
as part of technology transfer
agreement with South Korea.
The submarines’ technology is an
upgrade from the German-designed
HDW 209 and 214 types.
Indonesia requires more than just
three submarines to safeguard its
maritime coasts and exclusive
economic zone. The Malacca Strait is
one of the busiest waterways in the
world. An ideal number of
submarines for Indonesia would be
18 to 24 vessels.
On Sept. 24, the Indonesian Army
began receiving German-made
Leopard main battle tanks. The
Indonesian Army has purchased 104
Leopard tanks and 50 Marder
infantry fighting vehicles and other
assorted vehicles from Germany.
The Indonesian government has
decided to modernize its weaponry
systems by allocating a budget of no
less than 57 trillion rupiahs (US $5
billion) during the 2010-2014 fiscal
period out of 156 trillion rupiahs
allocated for the defense sector
during the period.
Indonesia has pursued two
mechanisms for procurement —
imports and domestic development.
Apart from PT PAL, Indonesia also
has PT Pindad, a state-owned arms
producer, and PT Dirgantara
Indonesia (PT DI), which produces
military aircraft. A number of aircraft
for the Indonesian Air Force has
come through the cooperation with
PT DI, such as the Bell 412
helicopter, Bolcow 105 and Cassa
212.
For the Army, PT Pindad has
supplied handguns and rifles.
The company also provides
ammunition for small-caliber
weapons as well as an armored
vehicle, the six-wheel Panser APS.
Source : Defensenews
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