I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Base Launches 'Gatra Akasa' Digital Information Gateway

On the day the Indonesian Air Force commemorated 79 years of Hari Bakti—a day honouring the sacrifice of Air Marshal (posthumous) Agustinus Adisutjipto, Air Marshal (posthumous) Abdulrachman Saleh, and the pioneers of the nation’s aviation—I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Force Base marked a new chapter in its transformation.

Following the 79th Hari Bakti ceremony, base commander Colonel David Dwi Martin launched Gatra Akasa (Gateway to Accurate Aerospace Information), the base’s first official information channel and interactive digital e-magazine in its history.

What made the launch special was not only its form but also the speed of its realisation. The idea for Gatra Akasa was proposed by Colonel David in the early days of his command, and within weeks of the handover of duties the concept had been fully realised: an official portal, a first-edition e-magazine, a digital archive, and trained base personnel to manage it—proof that under the right leadership, transformation can be achieved quickly, purposefully, and sustainably.

“I am a pilot. In the air, accuracy is not optional. Accuracy is safety. I bring the same principle to the ground: information from this base must be accurate, official, and accountable. I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Base stands at the gateway of Indonesian tourism, watched by the world every day. It is only fitting that this base also becomes the gateway to accurate aerospace information,” said David.

The name Gatra Akasa was chosen with deep meaning: gatra means form or appearance, while akasa means sky—representing the base’s official face in the digital firmament.

Its first e-magazine comes in an interactive flipbook format wrapped in Balinese aesthetics, combining the authority of aviation tradition with the local wisdom of the base’s surroundings.

This philosophy is also reflected in its emblem: strands of wing feathers unfurling into pieces of pixel—a symbol that tradition is not abandoned but instead flown towards a new form.

“Every generation at this base leaves its mark of service. The only difference is whether that service is documented or lost to time. Gatra Akasa is our way of ensuring no more service is lost. What we do today will be readable by soldiers who have not yet been born,” David said.

The first edition of Gatra Akasa presents the leadership journey of the base commander, from his career history, vision and mission, to the direction of transformation championed during his term of service.

Behind the scenes, this transformation has been accompanied by an equally important step: capacity building for base personnel in content production, portal management, and digital archive governance, so that Gatra Akasa can be managed independently by the base’s own soldiers in future. The digitalisation built is not merely technology but capability embedded within the unit.

For the public, the presence of Gatra Akasa provides certainty of information sources. Amid the torrent of information that is not always accountable, the people of Bali and aviation enthusiasts now have one official address to learn about the base’s activities, history, and service directly from the source. Every article is published through internal editorial review to ensure accuracy, in keeping with the meaning of its name.

The base’s move comes amid a broader push for digital transformation within the defence establishment. As a base adjacent to Indonesia’s second-busiest international airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai Air Base is often the first face of the Indonesian Air Force seen by the world.

The presence of Gatra Akasa is expected to be the base’s contribution to unit digitalisation—a simple example of how archives, accuracy, and digital self-reliance can be built from the base level.

In realising the concept, the base was supported by Juara Holding Group through a non-commercial corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme in documentation, digital archiving, and training, entirely outside operational aspects. The group’s expertise in digital media, creative production, and hospitality was dedicated to supporting the concept to the highest standard, before management is fully handed over to base personnel.

“This is entirely the fruit of Commander David’s vision. We work in digital media and hospitality—fields that demand precision, aesthetics, and respect for storytelling. When he laid out his vision of archives as legacy, we understood that our expertise had found its place of service. Our task was simply to ensure that great idea stood to the best standard we could manage. Beyond that, this stage belongs to the base and its soldiers. It is an honour for us to be a small part of the history written by the Commander,” said Agung Afif, owner of Juara Holding Group.

The launch was also marked by the signing of a CSR programme cooperation agreement between the base and Juara Holding Group, as well as the presentation of the Gatra Akasa ‘Sayap Akasa’ award to the commander as Pioneer of Base Digitalisation Innovation.

Seventy-nine years ago, the pioneers of the Indonesian Air Force took to the skies with simple aircraft and extraordinary courage. Today, from the gateway of Indonesian tourism, that same spirit is flown in a new form. Gatra Akasa is accessible to the public at gatraakasa.com.