Indonesian National Armed Forces

History

Before the formation of the Indonesian Republic, the military authority in the Dutch East Indies was held by the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) and by naval forces of the Royal Netherlands Navy (KM). Although both the KNIL and KM were not directly responsible for the formation of the future Indonesian armed forces, and mainly took the role of foe during Indonesian National Revolution in 1945 to 1949, the KNIL had also provided military training and infrastructure for some of the future TNI officers and other ranks. There were military training centres, military schools and academies in the Dutch East Indies. Next to Dutch volunteers and European mercenaries, the KNIL also recruited indigenous, especially Ambonese, Kai Islanders, Timorese, and Minahasan people. In 1940, with the Netherlands under German occupation and the Japanese pressing for access to Dutch East Indies oil supplies, the Dutch had opened up the KNIL to large intakes of previously excluded Javanese. Some of the indigenous soldiers that had enjoyed Dutch KNIL military academy education would later become important TNI officers, for example Suharto and Abdul Haris Nasution.

Indonesian nationalism and militarism started to gain momentum and support in World War II during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. To gain support from the Indonesian people in their war against the Western Allied force, Japan started to encourage and back Indonesian nationalistic movements by providing Indonesian youth with military training and weapons. On 3 October 1943, the Japanese military formed the Indonesian volunteer army called PETA (Pembela Tanah Air; Defenders of the Homeland). The Japanese intended for PETA to assist their forces and oppose a possible invasion by the Allies. The Japanese military training for Indonesian youth was originally meant to rally local support for the Empire of Japan but later became a significant resource for the Republic of Indonesia during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to 1949. Many of these men who served in PETA, both officers and NCOs alike including Sudirman, formed the majority of the personnel that would compose the future armed forces.

The Indonesian Armed Forces started out as the People's Security Agency (Badan Keamanan Rakyat, BKR), which was formed in the third PPKI meeting, on 29 August 1945. BKR united militias across the newly independent country to maintain civil order; it was more of a constabulary than an army. The decision to create a "security agency", and not an army, was taken to avoid the Allied forces seeing it as an armed revolution and invading in full force. One of the terms of surrender to Japan was to return the Asian colonies they had conquered to their previous rulers, certainly not to make them independent.

Future plans

At the beginning of 2010, the Indonesian government sought to strengthen the TNI to achieve minimum standards of minimum strength called "Kekuatan Pokok Minimum" (Minimum Essential Force, or MEF). The MEF was divided into three strategic five-year plan stages, 2010–2014, 2015–2019, and 2020–2024. Initially the government budgeted Rp156 trillion (around US$16 billion at the time) for the provision of TNI's main weapon system equipment (known as alutsista, an abbreviation for Alat Utama Sistem Senjata or "Main Weapons System") in the MEF period 2010–2014.

Naming history

People's Security Agency (Badan Keamanan Rakyat, 22 August – 5 October 1945; spelled Ra'jat)

People's Security Forces (Tentara Keamanan Rakyat, 5 October 1945 – 7 January 1946; spelled Ra'jat)

People's Safety Forces (Tentara Keselamatan Rakyat, 7–26 January 1946; spelled Ra'jat)

Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (Tentara Republik Indonesia, 26 January 1946 – 3 June 1947; spelled Repoeblik until 17 March 1947)

Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, 3 June 1947 – 27 December 1949)

War Forces of the Republic of the United States of Indonesia (Angkatan Perang Republik Indonesia Serikat, 27 December 1949 – 17 August 1950)

War Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (Angkatan Perang Republik Indonesia, 17 August 1950 – 21 June 1962)

Armed Forces of the Republic of Indonesia (Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia, 21 June 1962 – 1 April 1999; spelled Bersendjata until 1 January 1973)*

Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, since 1 April 1999)

*the name TNI was still used during ABRI era when it came to the military itself and the branches excluding the Police (e.g. TNI-AD/AL/AU). But when it was Armed Forces as a whole, including the Police, the term ABRI was used instead.

Philosophy and doctrine

The Indonesian military philosophy about the defence of the archipelago is summarily civilian-military defence, called "Total People's Defense", consisting of a three-stage war: a short initial period in which an invader would defeat a conventional Indonesian military, a long period of territorial guerrilla warfare followed by a final stage of expulsion, with the military acting as a rallying point for defence from grass-roots village level upwards. The doctrine relies on a close bond between villager and soldier to encourage the support of the entire population and enable the armed forces to manage all war-related resources.

The civilian population would provide logistical support, intelligence, and upkeep with some of the population that is armed forces-trained to join the guerrilla struggle against the aggressor. The armed forces regularly engage in large-scale community and rural development. The "Armed Forces Enters the Village" (AMD/TMMD) program, begun in 1983, is held three times annually to organise and assist construction and development of civilian village projects.

The current developments in Indonesia's defence policies are framed within the concept of achieving "Minimum Essential Force" or MEF by 2024. This concept of MEF was first articulated in Presidential Decree No. 7/2008 on General Policy Guidelines on State Defense Policy which came into effect on 26 January 2008. MEF is defined as a capability based defence and force level that can guarantee the attainment of immediate strategic defence interests, where the procurement priority is given to the improvement of minimum defence strength and/or the replacement of outdated main weapon systems/equipment. To achieve this aim, MEF had been restructured into a series of 3 strategic programs with timeframes from 2010 to 2014, 2015 to 2019 and 2020 to 2024 as well as spending of up to 1.5–2% of the GDP.

The identity of the Indonesian National Armed forces is as defined by the Article 2 of the Law No 34/2004 on Indonesian National Armed forces is the TNI must aim to become the:

People's Military Forces, the armed forces whose serving personnel come from Indonesian citizens from all walks of life;

Military of Warriors, which are soldiers who fought to establish the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and do not recognise surrender in carrying out and completing its obligations;

Operations

The military in Indonesia has evolved as an apparatus for defence based on political decisions. Indonesia has deployed forces in several UN peacekeeping operations, including in Lebanon and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and has sent over 24,000 peacekeeping personnel to UN missions since 1957.

The armed forces are tasked with military operations other than war, which include deterring radicalism and terrorism, securing critical infrastructure such as border controls, protecting dignitaries, providing disaster relief, and assisting the government in securing flight and maritime routes against hijacking, piracy, and trafficking.

Organisation

The Indonesian armed forces have long been organised around territorial commands. Following independence, seven were established by 1958. No central reserve formation was formed until 1961 (when the 1st Army Corps of the Army General Reserve, "CADUAD", the precursor of today's Kostrad, was established). It was only after the attempted coup d'état of 1 October 1965 and General Suharto's rise to the presidency that it became possible to integrate the armed forces and begin to develop a joint operations structure.

Following a decision in 1985, a major reorganisation separated the Ministry of Defense and Security from the ABRI (Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia, the name of the armed forces used during the New Order) headquarters and staff. MoDS was made responsible for planning, acquisition, and management tasks but had no command or control of troop units. The ABRI Commander in chief retained command and control of all armed forces and continued by tradition to be the senior military officer in the country, while continuing to be a part of the cabinet.

The administrative structure of Ministry of Defense and Security consisted of a minister, deputy minister, secretary general, inspector general, three directorates-general and a number of functional centres and institutes. The minister, deputy minister, inspector general, and three directors general were retired senior military officers; the secretary general (who acted as deputy minister) and most functional centre chiefs were, as is the case today, active-duty military officers, while employees and staff were personnel of the armed forces and of the civil service.

The 1985 reorganisation also made significant changes in the armed forces chain of command. The four multi-service Regional Defense Commands ("Kowilhans") and the National Strategic Command ("Kostranas") were eliminated from the defence structure, establishing the Military Regional Command ("Kodam"), or area command, as the key organisation for strategic, tactical, and territorial operations for all services. The chain of command flowed directly from the "ABRI" commander in chief to the ten "Kodam" commanders, and then to subordinate army territorial commands. The former territorial commands of the air force and navy were eliminated from the structure altogether, with each of those services represented on the "Kodam" staff by a senior liaison officer. The navy and air force territorial commands were replaced by operational commands. The air force formed two Operational Commands ("Ko-Ops") while the navy had its two Fleet Commands, the Western and Eastern Armadas. The air force's National Air Defense Command ("Kohanudnas") remained under the "ABRI" commander in chief. It had an essentially defensive function that included responsibility for the early warning system.

Armed Forces Headquarters Organization

The leadership elements of the Indonesian armed forces consist of the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Panglima TNI) and the Deputy Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, both position are held by four-star Generals/Admirals/Air Marshals appointed by and reporting directly to the President of Indonesia, who is the overall commander-in-chief of the armed forces. As of August 2025, the deputy commander of the armed forces is General Tandyo Budi Revita.

Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Panglima Tentara Nasional Indonesia); and

Deputy Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Wakil Panglima Tentara Nasional Indonesia).

Armed Forces General Staff (Staf Umum)

Armed Forces Inspectorate General (Inspektorat Jenderal)

Armed Forces Strategic Policy and General Planning Staff (Staf Kebijakan Strategis dan Perencanaan Umum)

Armed Forces Operations Staff (Staf Operasi)

Armed Forces Commander Advisory Staff (Staf Ahli Panglima)

Armed Forces Intelligence Staff (Staf Intelijen)

Armed Forces Personnel Staff (Staf Personalia)

Armed Forces Logistics Staff (Staf Logistik)

Armed Forces Territorial Staff (Staf Teritorial)

Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Staff (Staf Komunikasi dan Elektronik)

Branches

TNI has three service branches, the Army (TNI-AD), the Navy (TNI-AL), and the Air Force (TNI-AU). Each service branch is led by a Chief of staff (Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Navy, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force respectively) who is responsible for the administration and capability development for his/her own branch. These positions were previously called Commander or Panglima (for some period in 60s, it is a Minister-equivalent post) which was equipped with commanding authority until it was changed as Chief of Staffs (until now). In the present day, the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces is the only military officer holding commanding authority for all the service branches under the overall authority of the President as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

The TNI-AD (Indonesian Army) was first formed in 1945 following the end of World War II, to protect the newly independent country. It initially consisted of local militia and grew to become the regular army of today. The force now has up to 306,506 personnel, and comprises major strong territorial army commands known as Kodam and several independent regiments, brigades and battalions. The Army is also built up of operational commands and special forces such as the: Kopassus and the Kostrad units also with other types of formation within the Army itself. The Army also operates aircraft under the Army Aviation Command (Pusat Penerbangan Angkatan Darat). The Army operates 123 helicopters including combat, transport, and trainer models, and eight fixed-wing aircraft. The Army also guards and patrols the land borders with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor.

The TNI-AL (Indonesian Navy) was first formed on 22 August 1945. The current strength of the Navy is around up-to 74,000. In contrast to many other nations and military traditions, the Navy uses Army style ranks (See: Indonesian military ranks). The Navy has one centralised fleet command (Indonesian Fleet Command at Jakarta) which consists of three navy fleets which are the 1st Fleet Command (Koarmada I) based in Tanjungpinang, the 2nd Fleet Command (Koarmada II) based in Surabaya, and the 3rd Fleet Command (Koarmada III) based in Sorong, all three fleet forces commands holding responsibility for the defence of the three maritime and naval territorial commands. The Navy also has a management of aircraft and aviation systems which are operated by the Naval Aviation Center (Pusat Penerbangan Angkatan Laut). The Navy operates 63 fixed wing aircraft and 29 combat and transport helicopters. The Navy also includes the Indonesian Marine Corps (Korps Marinir, or KorMar). It was created on 15 November 1945 and has the duties of being the main naval infantry and amphibious warfare force with quick reaction capabilities and special operations abilities.

Special Forces Unit

Indonesian Military Special Forces

TNI AD (Indonesian Army): Kopassus, Tontaipur

TNI AL (Indonesian Navy): Kopaska, Taifib, Denjaka

TNI AU (Indonesian Air Force): Bravo Detachment 90

In the immediate aftermath of 2018 Surabaya bombings, President Widodo has agreed to revive the TNI Joint Special Operations Command (Koopssusgab) to assist the National Police in antiterrorism operations under certain conditions. This joint force is composed of special forces of the National Armed Forces as mentioned above, and is under the direct control of the Commander of the National Armed Forces. In July 2019, President Widodo officially formed the Armed Forces Special Operations Command (Koopssus TNI) which comprised 400 personnel each from Sat-81 Gultor of Kopassus, Denjaka, and Den Bravo of Kopasgat to conduct special operations to protect national interests within or outside Indonesian territory.

Equipment

TNI AD List of equipment of the Indonesian Army

TNI AL List of equipment of the Indonesian Navy

TNI AU List of equipment of the Indonesian Air Force

Reserves

The Indonesian National Armed Forces Reserve Component (Komponen Cadangan TNI, abbreviated into KOMCAD) is the military reserve force element of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.

On January 12, 2021, President Joko Widodo, as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, issued Government Regulation Number 3 of 2021 implementing Law 23 on the Management of National Resources for Defense of the Nation which established the Reserve as a directly reporting unit under the General Headquarters, in order to supplement the Principal Component, i.e. the Armed Forces and the National Police.

Under the regulation, the Reserve officially consists of army, naval, and air reserve forces. Membership in the reserve is voluntary for all citizens, even for members of the civil service.

Budget

*the 2020 budget was changed due to COVID-19 outbreak, while the budget for the Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education and Culture has been increased.

Uniforms

The Indonesian National Armed Forces have three types of uniforms worn by its personnel, which are general service uniforms, specialised service uniforms and branch-specific uniforms.

General service uniforms have three subtypes of uniform, which are dress uniform (Pakaian Dinas Upacara/PDU), service uniform (Pakaian Dinas Harian/PDH) and field uniform (Pakaian Dinas Lapangan/PDL). Each uniform subtypes also consists of several categories, which are:

Each branches of the national armed forces have different color in their general service uniforms.

Dress uniform (Pakaian Dinas Upacara/PDU)

Army: Dark green coat, Dark green trousers

Navy: White suit.

Air Force: Dark blue coat, Dark blue trousers.

Service uniform (Pakaian Dinas Harian/PDH)

Army: green shirt, with dark green trousers

Navy: greyish blue shirt, with dark greyish trousers. For international event/duty, the navy personnel will wear white shirt with white trousers.

Air Force: light blue shirt, dark blue trousers

Field uniform (Pakaian Dinas Lapangan/PDL)

All branches: Sage Green Digital, officially called "PDL TNI Prima", gradually replacing the standard issue DPM camouflage, sometimes called as "Loreng Malvinas".

Specialised service uniform consists of:

Personnel

The Indonesian armed forces are voluntary. The active military strength is 404,500 with 400,000 reserves with available manpower fit for military service of males aged between 16 and 49 is 75,000,000, with a further 4,500,000 new suitable for service annually.

Rank structures

In the Indonesian Army, Navy (including Marine Corps), Air Force, and the Police Force, the rank consists of officer (Perwira), NCO (Bintara) and enlisted (Tamtama). The rank titles of the Marine Corps are the same as those of the Army, but it still uses the Navy's style insignia (for junior ratings and Marine Corps enlisted personnel, blue replaces the red colour stripe in all orders of uniform dress).

Seven Commitments (Sapta Marga)

The Seven Commitments is a pledge of loyalty and fidelity of the military personnel to the government and people of Indonesia and to the principles of nationhood.

Soldier's Oath (Sumpah Prajurit)

The Soldier's Oath is a statement of determination expressed since the inception of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, and has become a value system for Indonesian National Armed Forces soldiers that is still upheld and preserved. The Soldier's Oath as an oath, is uttered during the inauguration ceremony for each student soldier to become a soldier of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.