Air Force Service Day 2026: Air Chief Marshal Outlines Air Defence Transformation
The commemoration of the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) Service Day on Wednesday (29 July 2026) served as a moment to remember the services of three pioneers of the Air Force of the Republic of Indonesia (AURI) who died carrying out a humanitarian mission, whilst also affirming the direction of the Air Force’s transformation in facing modern defence challenges.
Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Air Force (Kasau) Marshal Mohamad Tonny Harjono emphasised that the dedication of these forebears must serve as the foundation for building Indonesia’s air power in the future.
“Air Force Service Day reminds us that air power is built not only through operational capability, but also through the values of service passed down from one generation to the next,” Tonny said in his address on Wednesday (29 July 2026).
He recalled that exactly 79 years ago, the AURI pioneers successfully carried out air strikes on Semarang, Salatiga and Ambarawa as a form of resistance against the Dutch. Yet on that very day, Indonesia lost three important Air Force figures who died whilst carrying out a humanitarian mission delivering medical supplies.
The three figures were Air Commodore Agustinus Adisutjipto, Air Commodore Prof Dr Abdulrachman Saleh, and Air Officer I Adi Sumarmo Wirjokusumo. They were killed after the Dakota VT-CLA aircraft they were aboard was shot down by a Dutch fighter aircraft in the Ngoto area of Yogyakarta, as it was about to land at Maguwo Air Base.
The Air Force Chief said the spirit of dedication shown by these forebears must be realised in facing far more complex challenges. Technological developments, geopolitical dynamics, cyber threats, information warfare and multi-domain operations demand that the Air Force continue to adapt without abandoning the core values inherited from its pioneers.
“Exactly a year ago, we set the direction of the Air Force’s transformation through priority programmes as an effort to build air power capable of answering the challenges of today and the future,” he said.
The transformation focuses not only on modernising primary weapons systems (alutsista), but also encompasses strengthening the organisation, doctrine, support systems and improving the quality of human resources.
Moreover, the Air Force’s operational readiness today must also cover various new domains, ranging from cyber, information and the electromagnetic spectrum to space. Therefore, the transformation must proceed in an integrated manner so that the Air Force can safeguard national airspace sovereignty whilst responding to ever-evolving threat characteristics.
“The transformation must proceed as a single whole to build the Air Force’s complete readiness in safeguarding airspace sovereignty, carrying out every mandate of the state professionally, and strengthening national defence,” he said.
The Air Force Chief also called on all soldiers and civil servants within the Air Force to regard every assignment as an honour and every change as an impetus to keep learning and enhance professionalism.
“With that spirit, we will continue to give our best service to the nation, as a manifestation of the Air Force’s dedication to an Advanced Indonesia,” he said.