Indonesia military expansion boosts defense of sovereignty and seas amid rising tensions

Indonesia has embarked on a major expansion of its armed forces, a move President Prabowo Subianto says is essential to protecting independence and safeguarding the country’s vast territorial waters. The decision comes at a time of growing global uncertainty, with Beijing pressing its claims over the South China Sea and staging large-scale military drills near Taiwan.

At a ceremony in Batujajar, West Java, Prabowo oversaw the reinstatement of the Deputy Commander post in the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), naming General Tandyo Budi Revita to the role. He also launched a sweeping restructuring: six new Army regional commands, 14 for the Navy, three for the Air Force, and more than a hundred new territorial units, including additional Kopassus groups and marine forces.

Strengthening the nation through Indonesia military expansion

Prabowo told assembled troops and officials that Indonesia seeks peace but must never be naïve about threats. “No nation is independent without a strong military,” he said, warning against any repeat of foreign exploitation of Indonesia’s resources or interference in its unity. He framed the build-up as part of the 1945 Constitution’s mandate to defend sovereignty and uphold national wealth.

House of Representatives Speaker Puan Maharani backed the changes, saying they would make the TNI more solid and professional. She stressed that military power depends not only on equipment but on the dedication and integrity of the people wearing the uniform. Parliament, she added, stands ready to support the armed forces through legislation, funding, and oversight.

Defending the Natuna Islands and Indonesia’s EEZ

One priority is securing the Natuna Islands and the surrounding waters, which form part of Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. For years, these waters have faced incursions from Chinese vessels operating within Beijing’s so-called “nine-dash line,” a sweeping claim that covers most of the South China Sea. An international tribunal in 2016 ruled that the claim had no legal basis; a decision China has ignored.

Strengthening the Navy’s reach in the Natuna area is meant to deter such intrusions and ensure control over a region rich in fisheries and energy resources. For Indonesia, the Natunas are more than just remote islands — they are a frontline in defending national sovereignty.

Rising tensions in the wider region

The expansion also reflects unease over events further north. In April, China staged military exercises simulating a blockade of Taiwan, cutting off sea and air routes around the island. Such maneuvers highlight how quickly trade and security could be disrupted across Asia’s shipping lanes, many of which pass through the South China Sea and skirt Indonesian waters.

A stronger TNI, Prabowo argued, is a shield not only for the homeland but for regional stability. “Rather than being colonized again, it’s better to die,” he told the crowd — a line that drew applause from soldiers and civilian leaders alike.

The Indonesia military expansion, he said, is not about provoking conflict. It is about ensuring peace through readiness, unity, and the will to defend every inch of the nation’s land and sea.