State Secretary on Prabowo Flag Display During Independence Day: A Form of Pride
State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi has explained the display of a flag bearing the face of President Prabowo Subianto during the 81st Independence Day celebrations. Pras said it was a form of public pride in Prabowo.
“It is a form of pride for our fellow citizens,” Pras said after a coordination meeting with DPR leaders at the DPR building in Senayan, Jakarta, on Tuesday (18/8/2026).
Pras then touched on the strengthening of defence equipment during Prabowo’s administration. Prasetyo said the strengthening of defence equipment had been initiated since Prabowo served as Minister of Defence.
“We also expressed our gratitude because it is under Mr Prabowo’s tenure, although it had already been initiated since his time as Defence Minister, that we have truly strengthened our defence equipment,” he said.
Pras cited the involvement of Rafale aircraft in the air demonstration during the 81st Independence Day celebrations. Pras considered the flight of these aircraft to be an important matter.
“Recently, as you have seen, in the air demonstration several Rafale aircraft have begun to arrive, and not just the Rafale, but flying the Rafale fighter jets — and all four of them are the finest sons and daughters of the Indonesian nation. That, in my view, in our view, is far more important because it is not something easy,” he said.
In addition, Pras also mentioned the A400 transport aircraft. According to him, this defence equipment has demonstrated its benefits in assisting disaster response in Indonesia.
“Including the A400, which in our situation, our country being in the ring of fire where disasters often occur unexpectedly, has also proven its usefulness. In a short time we can send logistics, which we have already used starting from the disaster in Sumatra and recently in NTT,” he said.
Previously, 17 paratroopers from the Army Special Forces Command (Kopassus) unfurled the Red and White Flag in the skies over Jakarta. The parachute jump was named ‘Victory Jump’.
In a Presidential Secretariat YouTube broadcast on Monday (17/8), the jump used a CN295 aircraft from the air squadron at Halim Perdana Kusuma Air Base with Pilot in Command Lieutenant Colonel Ari Purba Kusuma.
Above the skies of Jakarta, the paratroopers unfurled a flag bearing the words ‘81 Indonesia Berdaulat Adil dan Makmur’. A photo of President Prabowo Subianto was also displayed in the sky.