General calls for defense doctrine<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia urgently needs a doctrine on state defense to identify
\nall internal and external threats to its territorial integrity
\nand to manage its defense forces, a retired general says.<\/p>\n
Sudrajat, a retired Army major-general and a former director
\ngeneral of defense strategy at the Ministry of Defense, said
\nIndonesia could no longer rely on the current defense policy and
\ndeterrence system amid the changing threats and strategic
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
"We do need a (new) defense doctrine and a review of the
\ndeterrence system in line with the changing threats ... The
\ndefense doctrine will have to present a new concept on how the
\ndefense system will be managed well, effectively and
\nefficiently," he told a seminar on defense organized by the
\nCentre for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Sudrajat, who will soon assume the post of Indonesian
\nambassador to China, said that following the end of Cold War,
\ntraditional threats have shifted to those related to domestic
\nproblems such as secessionist movements, communal and sectarian
\nconflicts.<\/p>\n
"In countering the separatist movements in Aceh and Papua and
\ncommunal conflicts in other regions, security authorities can no
\nlonger deploy expensive jet fighters and tanks," said, predicting
\nthat Indonesia would not face any military attack by other
\ncountries within the next 10 to 15 years.<\/p>\n
He added that Indonesia also needed to improve the
\nprofessionalism of its defense forces and enhance its bilateral
\nand multilateral cooperation with other countries in the
\nSoutheast Asian region in countering transnational crimes, such
\nas human trafficking, smuggling, piracy, illegal fishing and many
\nother external threats.<\/p>\n
During the current reform era, Sudrajat said, Indonesia had
\nenacted two new laws -- one on state defense and another on the
\nIndonesia Military (TNI) -- and a white book on defense, but none
\ndetailed how a deterrence system should be managed well, what
\nkinds of arsenals were needed at present and how the military
\ncould be deployed effectively and efficiently.<\/p>\n
He said the defense system should be designed by the President
\nas the TNI supreme commander, the National Defense Board and the
\nHouse of Representatives.<\/p>\n
It should regulate what kinds of arms were needed, how they
\nshould be procured and how the military was deployed in
\naccordance with its deterrent, rehabilitative and enforcement
\nfunctions, he said.<\/p>\n
"So far, there has been no policy on arsenal procurement. We
\nhave purchased jet fighters from U.S., Britain and Russia with
\nhigh prices and paid high maintenance costs, while they are no
\nlonger relevant to current threats. It's not only the military
\nbut also the House of Representatives, which should be the only
\ninstitutions granted the political authority for the military
\nbuildup," he said.<\/p>\n
Andi Widjayanto, a military analyst from the University of
\nIndonesia, concurred, saying Indonesia's existing deterrence
\nsystem was ineffective and inefficient because of the presence of
\n137 often incompatible or incomplete weapons systems.<\/p>\n
"The arsenals are not effective because they do not match with
\nthe changing strategic environment in the defense field, and they
\nare not efficient because we have recruited and trained a
\nnumerous number of personnel to operate them and spent much money
\nto maintain them," he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/general-calls-for-defense-doctrine-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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