Yes but we need more capital ships with patrol capability to guard our vast ocean. Dude we used to be the unchallenged naval power in SEA now even vietnam and myanmar are catching up. We should at least be twice more powerful than our neer peer neighbor in terms of capital ships(with the exception of SG of course)
I think we should differentiate between frontline state of the art frigate like iver huidfledt with patrol corvette/frigate like Martadinata's. Both cant be in the same league. One is an expensive but very capable hull the other one is a workhorse for the navy, still quite advanced but much more economical to operate. Personally i think we need more updated DPN class or opv's to replace our parchim fleet.
Ummm...my thing is that economic size and leverage = key. No matter how these neighbors trying to flex anything on the region, it's simply the fact that Indonesian economy is still more than twice bigger than the second largest economy in the region, and that speaks a lot even with a lax tax enforcement.
Economic power sustain all other power, as people would provide diplomatic favor out of economic necessity, and economy buys and sustains military organization and operation, so having money = having power.
People seems to be catching up simply because we are a rabbit sleeping under a tree and not wanting to rush anything, a bad habit ofc, but the key is the willingness and priority, which both are not currently inside the mind of the current Incumbent. As of now, there's very little incentive to rapidly develop the Military, as we already have the second largest budget in ASEAN, and positioned far south out of the trouble, and that multiplied by the fact that we are an island nation, the sea provides a sense of security and isolation that kinda spoils us, made us thought no one will be at our doorstep.
But here is my viewpoint : Indonesia is to ASEAN, is kinda like how the US is to NATO, but ofc the economic and military figure in comparison is not as much. The problem (or not?) is that The US have Military-Industrial Complex controlling their government's policy, it constantly hungers for war, influence abroad and military production, motivating the US government and Americans with reason to produce weapons and wage war abroad. The parallel cultural aspect of us, is that we both have Island mentality, of having a narrow and deluded viewpoint to the rest of the world due to our isolation by the sea, we (US and Indonesia) sees the world in a stereotypical viewpoint, VietKongs, Commies, Imperialist, Poor, Rich, Surrender Monkeys, Enemy, Rival, Friendly and so on..
That made us less engaged with anyone out there in a really "intimate" relation the way the French and the English been rival for nearly a millenium, we just see countries as either "trouble" or "opportunity", "good" or "bad", rarely
as a nation we put a close-up interest in anyone, heck we even banned Military Alliance, cementing the fact that we don't give a shit to anyone, and anyone should return the same favor. But deep down, most Indonesian (and the American also), secretly judged everyone with our own standard, but refused to even listen to the other person, only believing in what their own mind's tells what's right.
But i still saw this as a nice parallel of "what we could be", and frankly there's already some nice doctrine and strategy proven to be effective by the Americans, starting with the "
speak softly and carry a big stick" doctrine AKA Gunboat Diplomacy, this one is what we should be aiming to achieve in the Ideal Essential Force, of combining economic significance, diplomatic lobby and military domination over the region, to finally cement our position as The First and Foremost Among Equals, which i believe is the key to peace and neutrality over ASEAN, where its' countries would have a quasi-authority among it's own members (Indonesia) that would prevent any third party (outside Great Powers) from ever completely influencing an ASEAN nation for it's own behalf, the same way the US check-and-balance the Americas with it's Gunboat Diplomacy and the Monroe Doctrine.