Army's Special Force to be reorganized<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Army's Special Force (Kopassus) will be
\nreorganized to meet the demands of security environment in the
\nfuture, a senior military officer said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said the elite
\nforce would slim its organization and decrease the number of its
\npersonnel as well.<\/p>\n
\"This reorganization will make Kopassus a more effective
\nforce,\" Endriartono told to the press after being inducted as an
\nhonorary member of the elite force at the Kopassus headquarters
\nin Cijantung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He dismissed speculation that the reorganization plan was the
\nresult of intervention by other countries.<\/p>\n
\"No, it's not true. The decision came purely from Army
\nHeadquarters,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Army chief was accompanied in the media briefing by
\nKopassus chief Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaini and the Kopassus group
\ncommanders.<\/p>\n
With the reorganization, Endriartono said, the 7,000 Kopassus
\npersonnel which are distributed in five groups will be reduced to
\nonly 5,000 in three groups.<\/p>\n
\"The remaining 2,000 personnel will be transferred to other
\nforces in the Army,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Army chief said the reorganization was based on the Army's
\nprediction that in the next 10 years to 15 years, the country
\nwould face greater domestic security threats rather than regional
\nones.<\/p>\n
\"Domestic security affairs are the responsibility of the
\npolice.<\/p>\n
\"Meanwhile, Kopassus, as a special force, will only dispatch
\nits troops when other forces can not handle the security
\nsituation, or when the target of an operation is very strategic
\nand difficult to execute,\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
He said the reorganization concept for the elite force had
\nbeen completed at the Army headquarters level.<\/p>\n
\"We are now waiting for the approval of the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) Headquarters,\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
In 1996, the elite force was expanded from four groups to five
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
Group I, located in Serang, Banten province and Group II,
\nlocated in Kartosuro, near Surakarta, Central Java comprise
\ncombat troops.<\/p>\n
Group III in Batujajar, Bandung, West Java, is responsible for
\neducation and training.<\/p>\n
Groups IV and V, located in Cijantung, East Jakarta, are
\nresponsible for intelligence and anti-terrorist operations,
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
The 1996 reorganization also promoted the Kopassus chief from
\nbrigadier general to major general.<\/p>\n
\"The new Kopassus structure will include two combat groups,
\none intelligence group, a smaller anti-terrorism unit and a
\nKopassus Training Center\" Endriartono said.<\/p>\n
He said Kopassus' Combat Group I and Group II would be located
\nin Serang and Kartosuro, respectively, while the intelligence
\nGroup III will be located in Cijantung.<\/p>\n
The new Anti-Terrorism Unit, to be situated in Cijantung, will
\nreport directly to the Kopassus chief, while the Kopassus
\nTraining Center will be situated in Batujajar.<\/p>\n
Endriartono said that due to the special tasks of Kopassus,
\nArmy leaders had decided the rank of the Kopassus chief would
\nremain a major general. (02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/armys-special-force-to-be-reorganized-1447893297",
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