The aged defense equipment and special material equipment (almatsus) belonging to the TNI and National Police already needs rejuvenation with more modern defense equipment.
By
SUMARDJONO
·6 minutes read
DIDIE SW
Didie SW
The tsunami disaster in Aceh in 2004, which was preceded by the tsunami in Papua and was followed by tsunamis in several other areas across Indonesia, including Pangandaran, Nias, Padang and Sumbawa, has made the government aware of how fragile our national defense is.
This is true. In order to cope with the dangers caused by the tsunami, much of the Indonesian Military (TNI) defense equipment and special equipment from the National Police are not ready. Yet assistance from neighboring countries and several others that are far from ground zero of the disaster could arrive early. In fact, this tsunami disaster relief aid is classified among the TNI\'s OMSP (Military Operations Other Than War) missions.
The government realizes the weakness in the readiness of the main weaponry system (alutsista) in supporting the national defense system. For this reason, the government intends to revive the defense industry so that it can develop properly and produce, maintain and repair defense equipment independently so that all defense equipment needs can be supplied domestically.
In addition, the aged defense equipment and special material equipment (almatsus) belonging to the TNI and National Police already needs rejuvenation with more modern defense equipment. The equipment consists of products from the 1970s to 1980s and makes use of the technology from those days. On the other hand, current technological developments are faster, more advanced and updated so that many equipment systems from previous eras have been left behind.
Building a strong posture
In the New Order era, strategic industrial growth developed and worked well, but it was not supported by strong and binding laws and regulations. It was limited to government regulations and presidential regulations so that it was easily ignored by certain parties with an interest in weakening it, both from within the country and abroad.
For this reason, the government and the House of Representatives issued Law No. 16/2012 on the defense industry on Oct. 5, 2012, as the basis for formulating a strong, effective, efficient, modern and innovative national defense posture through empowering the domestic defense industry. The spending mechanism to meet the needs of the TNI and the National Police’s defense equipment is regulated by involving the defense industry in mastering technology so as to ensure high readiness for defense equipment during its specified life cycle.
This law is an implementation of the mandate stipulated in Law No. 3/2002 on state defense and Law No. 34/2004 on the TNI, which in essence, say that the administration of state defense is to be carried out using the country’s own strength. As for Law No. 3/2002 and Law No. 34/2004, they are an implementation of the implied content of the mandate in the preamble of the 1945 Constitution. This implies that the nuance of independence is the key to the strength of the defense system that is to be built.
The importance of the defense industry
The national defense system consists of five important components, namely defense doctrine, strategy, posture, structure and defense technology. The role of this technology can influence or change the form of defensive posture, structure and strategy. The defense doctrine is permanent. Technology exists in the defense industry. This is where the importance of the defense industry in building a country\'s defense system lies.
Self-sufficiency in fulfilling and managing defense postures and structures independently is the key to building an independent defense system that has a high deterrence effect. When the defense posture is fulfilled with defense equipment from abroad, no matter how sophisticated, there are limitations in operation and in its maintenance and repair. There will still be a lot of dependence on the defense equipment producing country so that the strength of the defense system being built is partial and the trepidation it causes is lowered.
Law No. 16/2012 regulates how to build the defense industry towards self-sufficiency in meeting needs for defense equipment for the TNI and special equipment for the National Police, including institutions that are permitted to use these tools or equipment based on statutory regulations.
For equipment that can be produced by domestic industries, it is obligatory that the needs of the TNI and National Police are met from within the country. If the defense industry is not able to meet these needs, it is permitted to source from abroad. However, technology transfer must be carried out, through offsetting activities in the form of joint development, joint production or the use of local content and barter, especially with products from the domestic defense industry.
For every procurement of defense equipment from abroad, there must be a transfer of technology for the domestic defense industry or other related institutions, amounting to 85 percent of the total contract value. This offset will be used to build the defense industry technologically so that it can be independent in meeting the needs of the TNI and National Police and the need for export of defense equipment and special equipment.
Offsetting activities in all defense equipment spending have become common practice in countries throughout the world so they can change themselves from arms importers to exporters. These countries include Turkey, Brazil, South Korea and India.
Indonesia is considered late in empowering technological offsets because it is not yet supported by binding regulations in the form of law that all parties must comply with. As a result, we have difficulty acquiring technology.
It all depends on the commitment of the country\'s leaders and the need for consistency in policy implementation, given that the construction of equipment (such as warships, aircraft and tanks) takes a long time and can exceed the office term of the power holders. There needs to be long-term planning that the defense industry must follow and carry out. There needs to be synergy between the users of defense equipment, the government as the policy maker and the defense industry as the producer of the product.
Indonesia\'s position as an independent, non-aligned country also influences the acquisition of military technology. On the other hand, Indonesia needs to establish an agency that is responsible for the safety of technology that will be provided by technology-carrying countries.
ARSIP PRIBADI
Sumardjono
It is time for Indonesia to reform itself, update the content of its defense posture with the latest technology and the need to involve the defense industry, which is the key to building a national defense system. A period of peace like this is the right time to build military power through the mastery of technology and the involvement of the defense industry in the country towards the self-fulfillment of the national defense system.
This, as often expressed by strategists, relates to the phrase Si vis pacem parabellum: If you want peace, be prepared for war.
Sumardjono, Retired admiral, chairman of the Implementation Team for the Defense Industry Policy Committee (KKIP), 2013-2020
