Archipelagic State Defense

Two problems arising in early 2020 require deeper thinking on the design of Indonesia’s defense as an archipelagic state.

KOMPAS/EDNA CAROLINE PATTISINA

The KRI Teuku Umar and KRI Tjiptadi warships are prepared for deployment in the TNI (Indonesian Military) Sea Combat Alert operation, which is to be reinforced by air power. A military briefing was held and led by the chief of the Joint Defense Territory Command (Kogabwilhan), Vice Adm. Yudo Margono in Natuna on Friday (3/1/2020).

The first problem is fish theft and violation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the North Natuna Sea by Chinese fishing boats and coast guards. China’s aggressiveness in this matter is not without context. Despite estimations that it will not commit conventional aggressions, China has continued to strengthen its position in the South China Sea. It is expected that China’s presence, which has triggered small conflicts in the South China Sea, will continue.

The second problem is the new coronavirus outbreak. As the disease can be easily transmitted, countries have closed their borders to certain degrees. The most fundamental thing is to filter people coming in and out of their countries. For a country as vast and open as Indonesia, this can be difficult. The country has 34 international airports in various provinces, international seaports and small ports. Limited manpower and equipment to monitor people coming in and out are our weaknesses.

Also read : NORTH NATUNA SEA Fishermen Await Commitment Realization

Geography is a perennial factor in compiling the defense strategy of a country. Despite not being the sole influence, the geographical conditions of a country, including its formation, location and climate, will affect the situations and conditions that it experiences. The indirect impact is related to how it chooses to defend itself.

Unfortunately, being an archipelagic nation does not necessarily make Indonesia a state with maritime power. Maritime power requires not only a maritime character that is outward-looking and full of adventure but also technology on ships, seaports, fish processing and protecting and exploiting marine resources. Achievements at sea means a strong land-based power as maritime power is a projection of a land-based government. The problem is that we do not have a great conditions on land, especially in terms of security. Therefore, it is unsurprising that Indonesia’s defense is inward-looking with the Indonesian Military (TNI) focusing more on tackling separatism and rebellions.

Limited manpower and equipment to monitor people coming in and out are our weaknesses.

An awareness of our national identity as a maritime state is increasing. Despite protracted realization, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s vision of turning Indonesia into a Global Maritime Axis has reawakened our concepts of a maritime state. In 2018, former Army chief of staff Gen. (Ret.) Mulyono wrote a book about Guerilla Warfare Strategy for Archipelagic Country. Despite no specific discussions on the matter, Mulyono underlined that war would no longer be linear and it would be important to have a joint land, sea and air command for archipelagic state defense.

Most recently, the 2020 State Defense Policy signed by Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto emphasized on sea and air defense. The strengthening of maritime cooperation in reinforcing security architecture in the South China Sea is an important agenda this year, apart from the effort to realize the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) and drone monitoring.

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

A military member stands guard as President Joko Widodo inspects the readiness of KRI Usman Harun (359) warship at the Port of Lampa Strait in Natuna regency, Riau Islands, Wednesday (8/1/2020). In front of KRI Usman Harun, the President said that his visit was to ensure law enforcement of the country’s sovereign rights over the wealth of marine resources in Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Indo-Pacific

Maritime expert Geoffrey Till in his lecture at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Jakarta, in late January 2020, mentioned the importance of islands in a maritime strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

The maritime operations in the Indo-Pacific regions are mostly dominated by operations near the coastline instead of in the open seas.

The Indo-Pacific theater is dominated by island warfare strategy. To respond to China, the US and its allies use islands as forward operating bases. Despite expectations that modern warfare be no longer linear, it is apparent that the US creates advanced defense sectors. In order to succeed, faraway US must be able to build a solid supply chain. Therefore, among its strategies is to establish strong diplomatic relationships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, other than surely to create weapons with far coverage and prepare itself to face China that is trying to close American access to the South China Sea with its Anti Access/Area Denial strategy using electromagnetic waves.

Also read : RI-Japan Strengthen Maritime Cooperation

It will not be easy to realize an archipelagic state defense. An essential part is advanced technology, which means higher costs and the need for technologically-capable and adaptive crew members. Using domestic defense industry products and relying on foreign purchases must be combined diligently. There should be no intention of corruption as the orchestration of sea, land and air defenses is becoming increasingly important. A reorganization of the military is also necessary, not only for the sake of filling positions but also to emphasize on defense needs.

Furthermore, two defense problems, namely fish theft and the coronavirus outbreak, show that defense is the responsibility of not only the military but also many other relevant parties.

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION VIA AP

This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.

Economically, islands can be hubs to process marine resources, not just fish but also oil and gas as well as minerals on the continental shelf. Therefore, infrastructure demand, such as electricity, must be addressed effectively and efficiently to ensure sustainability. Public facilities and education to ensure social progress are also necessary.

Second, frontier islands are symbols of national sovereignty. Therefore, border negotiations with neighboring countries must be intensified. Meanwhile, the government must also ensure the presence of empowered locals. One example is to improve the capacity of fishermen in Natuna and Aru Sea, instead of bringing fishermen from other regions.

Third, spatial regulations must be improved. For instance, in a seminar at the TNI Strategic Research Center on Wednesday (26/2), Deputy IV of the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, Maj. Gen. Rudianto, said that there were 13 ministries and agencies involved in maritime security based on 15 separate laws. Despite an omnibus law on maritime security having been touted as a solution, what is more important is to erase sectoral ego of all government institutions so that they can work together effectively and efficiently.

Fourth, soldiers in a military deployment must be equipped with high level mobility and adaptability. The doctrine of joint operations must be examined continuously. Integrated bases serving as forward operating bases must be realized. Preparing quality human resources is also important to create a proper archipelagic state defense strategy.