Indonesian Army

The Indonesian Army (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat, TNI–AD), the land component of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, has an estimated strength of 233,000 regular personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR) "Civil Security Forces" first emerged as a paramilitary and police corps.

Since the nation's independence movement, the Indonesian Army has been involved in multifaceted operations ranging from the incorporation of Western New Guinea, the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, to the annexation of East Timor, as well as internal counter-insurgency operations in Aceh Maluku and Papua. The army's operations have not been without controversy; it has been periodically associated with human rights violations, particularly in West Papua, East Timor and Aceh.

The Indonesia Army is composed of a headquarters, 12 military area commands, a strategic reserve command KOSTRAD, a special forces command Kopassus, and various adjunct units. The size of the Army has expanded over the years; in July 1976 the Army was estimated to consist of solely 180,000 personnel.



Military Area Commands
The Armed Forces' operational sections were established by General Soedirman, following the model of the German Wehrkreise system. The system was later codified in Surat Perintah Siasat No.1, signed into doctrine by General Soedirman in November 1948.

The Army's structure underwent various reorganizations throughout its early years. From 1946 to 1952, the Army was organised into set divisions. These were further consolidated in 1951, and then dispersed in 1952. From 1952 to 1958-59, the Army was organised into seven Tentara & Teritoriums. In August 1958, the Indonesian Army reconsolidated its territorial command. There were then established sixteen Kodams, which retained earlier divisional titles; the Siliwangi Division, for example, became Kodam VI/Siliwangi.

A reorganization in 1985 made significant changes in the army chain of command. The four multiservice Regional Defense Commands (Kowilhans) and the National Strategic Command (Kostranas) were eliminated from the defense structure, re-establishing the Military Area Command (Kodam), or regional command, as the key organization 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 Kodams incorporate provincial and district commands each with a number of infantry battalions, sometimes a cavalry battalion, artillery, or engineers. Some have Raider battalions attached. Currently there are 12 Military Area Commands, and these are:


 * Kodam Iskandar Muda, overseeing Aceh province as part of the Aceh special autonomy law. Previously under the Kodam I/Bukit Barisan.
 * Kodam I/Bukit Barisan, overseeing northern Sumatra provinces of North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau and Riau Islands.
 * In 1997, before the split of Kodam I into Kodam I and Kodam Iskandar Muda, territorial military district commands included Korem 011 (HQ Lhokseumawe), Korem 012 (HQ Banda Aceh), Korem 022 (HQ Pematang Siantar), Korem 023 (HQ Sibolga), Korem 031 (HQ Pekanbaru), and Korem 032 (HQ Padang).
 * Kodam II/Sriwijaya, overseeing southern provinces on Sumatra island of Jambi, Bengkulu, Bangka Belitung, South Sumatra and Lampung.
 * Korems in 1997 included Korem 041 (HQ Palembang), Korem 042 (HQ Jambi), Korem 043 (HQ Lampung), and Korem 044 (HQ Serong).
 * Kodam Jaya, overseeing Jakarta as the capital city of Indonesia. Kodam Jaya also oversees three regions outside Jakarta of Bekasi and Depok which actually in West Java province and Tangerang which is in Banten province.
 * Kodam III/Siliwangi, overseeing West Java and Banten provinces.
 * Kodam IV/Diponegoro, overseeing Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces.
 * Kodam V/Brawijaya, overseeing East Java province.
 * Kodam VI/Tanjungpura, overseeing all provinces on Kalimantan island (Borneo) of Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and West Kalimantan.
 * Kodam VII/Wirabuana, overseeing all provinces on Sulawesi island of Gorontalo, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi and West Sulawesi.
 * Units include Batalyon Infanteri 714
 * Kodam IX/Udayana, overseeing provinces of Bali, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The former Indonesian province of East Timor was also under the jurisdiction of Kodam IX/Udayana.
 * Kodam XVI/Pattimura, overseeing Maluku and North Maluku provinces.
 * Kodam XVII/Cendrawasih, overseeing West Papua and Papua provinces.

Operational Commands

 * Special Forces Command (Kopassus), est 5,530 divided is composed of five groups, Grup 1/Parakomando (Para Commando), Grup 2/Parakomando (Para Commando), Pusat Pendidikan Pasukan Khusus (Training), Grup 3/Sandhi Yudha (Combat Intelligence), 	SAT 81/Penanggulangan Teror (Counter-terrorism); plus the Presidential Guard (Paspampres) and headquarters. Each group is headed by a Colonel and all groups are para-commando qualified. Of note is the unusual nature of Group IV, possibly also called "Sandhy Yudha," which consists of select members from Groups I, II, and III. The duties of these specially trained personnel include attacking behind enemy lines (Infiltration tactics). Group IV also, reportedly, works with the Joint Intelligence Unit on interrogations, and carries out clandestine operations around the country.


 * Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad), is the Indonesian Army's Strategic Reserve Command. Kostrad is a Corps level command which has around 40,000 troops. It also supervises operational readiness among all commands and conducts defense and security operations at the strategic level in accordance with policies of the TNI commander.
 * Infantry Division 1 Kostrad, with 13th Infantry Brigade and the 17th Airborne Brigade, plus Field Artillery Regiment 2
 * 2nd Division, with 6th and 9th Infantry, and the 18th Airborne Brigades, plus a field artillery regiment
 * 3rd Airborne Infantry Brigade, Ujung Pandang (ex-Kopassus 3rd Group)
 * KOSTRAD also commands several combat service support units such as combat engineers.


 * Army Aviation Command (id:Pusat Penerbangan Angkatan Darat) The army had its own small air arm that performs attack, liaison and transport duties. It operates 100 aircraft in three helicopter and aircraft squadrons composed mostly of light aircraft and small transports, such as the IPTN produced CN-235.
 * Squadron 11 Heli Serbu (light assault) (Semarang, Jawa Tengah)
 * Squadron 21 Sena (support) (Pondok Cabe, Jakarta)
 * Squadron 31 Heli Serbu (heavy assault squadron)(Semarang, Jawa Tengah)

List of Army Chief of Staffs

 * Col. GPH Djatikusumo (1948–1949)
 * Col. AH Nasution (1949–1952)
 * Col. / Maj. Gen. Bambang Sugeng (1952–1955)
 * Maj. Gen. Bambang Utoyo (1955)
 * Maj. Gen. AH Nasution (1955–1962)
 * Let. Gen. Ahmad Yani (1962–1965)
 * Maj. Gen. Pranoto Reksosamudra (temporary) (1965)
 * Maj. Gen. Suharto (1965–1967)
 * Gen. Maraden Panggabean (1967–1969)
 * Gen. Umar Wirahadikusumah (1969–1973)
 * Gen. Surono (1973–1974)
 * Gen. Makmun Murod (1974–1978)
 * Gen. Widodo (1978–1980)
 * Gen. Poniman (1980–1983)
 * Gen. Rudini (1983–1986)
 * Gen. Try Sutrisno (1986–1988)
 * Gen. Edi Sudrajat (1988–1993)
 * Gen. Wismoyo Arismunandar (1993–1995)
 * Gen. Hartono (1995–1997)
 * Gen. Wiranto (1997–1998)
 * Gen. Subagyo Hadi Siswoyo (1998–1999)
 * Gen. Tyasno Sudarto (1999–2000)
 * Gen. Endriartono Sutarto (2000–2002)
 * Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu (2002–2005)
 * Gen. Djoko Santoso (2005–2008)
 * Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo (2008–2009)
 * Gen. George Toisutta (2009–2011)
 * Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo (2011–2013)
 * Gen. Moeldoko (May 2013–August 2013)
 * Gen. Budiman (2013–present)