“Future Navy Development”: Uneasy process

On 31 July 2006, Chief of Indonesian Navy, Admiral Slamet Seobijanto outlines the plan for the development of Navy capabilities. The plan is actually restating what have been revealed last year on the “green water navy” capability project.

This plan is crucial to secure entire Indonesia archipelago from different kind of risks and threats. So far, limitations of equiptments is among the main hindrance. However, to achieve the plan it is far from reality due to financial constrain. Development of Navy and other forces will depends on the success of national economic recovery. Otherwise, it just a dream.

Related aspect that needs attention is the reform of acquisition process –integrating all acquisition through Ministry of Defence (Departemen Pertahanan) will be one of the key factor in promoting democratic governance of defence forces.

Last year, Minister of Defence Juwono Sudarsono has issued the package of regulation called “Integrity Pact –Pakta Integritas” to reform and streamlining the process of military acquisition. To operationalise this regulation, there is needs of strong commitment from the three brances (AD, AL, AU) and Mabes TNI to uphold the principles of governance in the process acquisition of military hardware (alutsista) in a democratic based political system.

As a reference: see my entry on “green water navy capability” that I posted yesterday. ©2006/31/07 Riefqi Muna