TNI chief strikes alarmist tone on proxy war
Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo has warned that Indonesia could be the site of proxy wars between major powers aimed at controlling the country’s natural resources.
“There are many ways that foreign countries could control our natural resources, one of the strategies is by using a proxy war. We can already sense that proxy war is creeping in today and we should be on the alert because it could be on its way,” Gatot said in Makassar, South Sulawesi, over the weekend.
A proxy war is a war instigated by a major power but in which it does not itself participates. It uses other governments and agents, including non-state actors to do the fighting. It can involve countries fighting their opponent’s allies, or assisting their allies in fighting their opponent.
Gatot said that the signs of a proxy war could already be felt.
“[The strategy of proxy war] includes control of the media in Indonesia. The media engineers conflict between the military and police or between political parties, and instigates societal and cultural change. [There is also] drug smuggling, which has been going on for a long time,” he said.
Gatot said that Indonesia could easily prevent the outbreak of a proxy war as it already had the solution.
“We have Pancasila and the communal spirit [gotong royong]. We should revive those values,” he said.
According to Gatot, currently around the world countries are scrambling to get their hands on dwindling natural resources, especially energy.
He claimed that the increased use of fuel between 2007 and 2009 had triggered skyrocketing costs of food by at least 75 percent.
“It is predicted that with the depletion of fossil-based energy resources, in the future conflict will be more about controlling food resources, clean water, and bio energy, all of which comes from areas on the equator,” Gatot said.
The TNI commander said that three key regions on the equator; Indonesia, Central Africa, and Central America, could be targeted by major powers hungry for resources.
“So Indonesia would be a center for energy resources, a food basket and source of clean water. It would be a future target for the agents of foreign countries that don’t have those kind of luxuries,” Gatot said.
Gatot has been preoccupied with the concept of proxy war for a while.
While serving as the Army chief of staff, Gatot said that he was convinced that Timor Leste seceded from Indonesia as a result of a proxy war waged to control the oil field in the Timor Gap.
Gatot also claimed that the major street protests and rallies that led to mass layoffs among 20 oil palm plantations managed by Indonesians were also part of a proxy war, which was directed at shutting down the operations of many Indonesian-controlled palm oil plantations, so that they could then be sold off to foreign companies.
He has also used the term “proxy war” quite liberally in dialogues with university students and the country’s youth.
TNI chief strikes alarmist tone on proxy war | The Jakarta Post
Navy to choose submarines from among three vendors
The Navy is yet to make a decision on what type of submarines it will purchase to complete its weapons system procurement in the next five-year strategic plan.
Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Ade Supandi said it would be some time before a decision could be made.
“The Navy and the military headquarters are still conducting a strategic review of the matter. The procurement takes time because it must go through several phases,” Ade said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
According to Ade, the first phase would be drawing up the submarines’ specifications, the second phase would be planning the budget and the last phase would be building the vessels.
The Navy is currently reviewing three types of submarine from three countries; the Russian Kilo class, the South Korean Chang Bogo and a German design.
“We are still conducting reviews, but we expect to buy a diesel-electric type, [from one of those vendors]” he said.
Previously, Navy spokesperson Comr. Muhammad Zainuddin told
The Jakarta Post that the force had opted to procure Kilo-class submarines from Russia as part of the 2015-2019 strategic plan.
“There are many types of Kilo-class submarines, we have yet to decide which type we will purchase,” Zainuddin said.
The Russian Kilo-class 636 submarines are mainly intended for anti-ship and anti-submarine operations in shallow waters.
The type is also resilient in a variety of weather conditions. Countries that operate the Kilo class include Algeria, China, India, Romania and Vietnam.
Indonesia has a long history of procuring submarines from Russia and the former Soviet Union. In 1967, it acquired 12 Whiskey-class submarines
Indonesia also procured three Chang Bogo-class submarines from South Korea in 2011. Two of the boats would be built in South Korea, while the last would be built in Indonesia.
Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said the first two boats were now more than 50 percent completed.
Submarines, with their stealth capacity, are regarded as effective deterrents and Zainuddin said that Indonesia needed at least 12 such vessels to protect its territory.
The Navy currently operates two German-made submarines, the KRI Cakra (401) and KRI Nenggala (402), which were built in the 1980s. The boats are due to be decommissioned in 2020.
According to Ade, the Navy will make its decision regarding which submarines to purchase based on the current state budget situation.
The Navy is currently busy preparing a joint exercise, code-named “Komodo” with foreign navies from 32 countries to be staged in April 2016.
Ade said the exercise would take place off Padang, West Sumatra, and would focus on disaster mitigation.
“We’ve selected Padang, because the area is a disaster-prone area. We also want to introduce them to the area and our rich country,” Ade said.
He expected that the joint exercise would serve as a conduit for a transfer of knowledge and boost relations between neighboring countries.
Navy to choose submarines from among three vendors | The Jakarta Post