TNI Alert Status 1 Designation Does Not Require Defence Ministry Approval
The Head of the Defence Ministry’s Information Bureau, Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, stated that the TNI’s decision to establish Alert Status 1 does not require Defence Ministry approval. The increase in readiness level, he said, represents a tactical and operational consideration within the TNI’s purview.
“In the working relationship mechanism between the Defence Ministry and TNI, operational matters of this nature do not always require prior approval from the Defence Ministry,” he said when contacted on Monday, 9 March 2026.
Sirait said that setting the readiness level of military units falls within the operational authority of the TNI Commander in developing and controlling TNI force preparedness. This measure, he explained, is part of internal procedure.
“The aim is to ensure all units remain in a state of readiness to address various developments in the strategic situation,” he said.
Sirait stated that readiness is a standard procedure in the defence system, particularly when there are shifts in global and regional security dynamics. According to him, such readiness does not necessarily indicate an emergency situation or direct threat to Indonesia. “Rather, it is an anticipatory measure to ensure the preparedness of personnel and units,” he said.
The Defence Ministry, according to Sirait, supports every professional measure taken by the TNI to maintain the defence force’s readiness, provided it aligns with the TNI’s core responsibilities of protecting national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and safeguarding the nation and all Indonesian territory.
Previously, TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto established Alert Status 1 for all defence units across Indonesia. The status was set amid escalating conflict in the Middle East and was confirmed by TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency Chief Lieutenant General Yudi Abrimantyo.
“The Alert Status 1 issued by the TNI Commander was addressed to all TNI ranks, including the TNI’s Strategic Intelligence Agency,” Yudi told Tempo on Saturday, 7 March 2026.
Yudi explained that Alert Status 1 aims to anticipate domestic security situations amid escalating Middle East conflict tensions following the outbreak of war between Iran, the United States, and Israel.
In a commander’s instruction document obtained by Tempo, one of several orders issued requested the Jaya/Jakarta Military Command to conduct security patrols at vital strategic facilities and foreign embassy offices in Jakarta.