Maintain National Stability, Defense Minister Adds TNI Battalion Throughout Indonesia

JAKARTA - Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will add to the Indonesian National Army (TNI) battalion which will spread throughout Indonesia in order to maintain national stability and sovereignty.

This was conveyed by Sjafrie after a closed meeting with Commission I of the DPR at the DPR building, Senayan, Jakarta, Monday, November 24. The meeting, said Sjafrie, discussed the issues concerned with the use, strength, and strength building.

"Earlier I gave an explanation that national defense is absolute to maintain the sovereignty of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and maintain national stability to support economic development carried out by the government," said Defense Minister Sjafrie.

"For this reason, maximum strength development is needed, be it the development of the Army's strength in the form of increasing battalions, in order to provide security and comfort to the community, especially in order to support the duties of local governments at the district and provincial levels," he continued.

The Minister of Defense explained that 514 districts are spread across the national region and there is also a strategic industry that has a very big influence on state sovereignty.

"This also requires our attention so that we are indeed required to strengthen the Indonesian National Army, be it land or sea and air forces," he said.

Currently, Indonesia, continued the Minister of Defense, has 150 TNI battalions to maintain regional security. He considered that there was still a need to add battalions to save national interests in various sectors and regions.

"From 2025, we have started the development of this force, where now in 2025 we already have 150 battalions of the Indonesian National Army which we call the Development Territorial Infantry Battalion. And we will continue to improve this every year in the number of 150 battalions per year," he said.

This Battalion, said the Minister of Defense, was not included in the need for territorial ambitions, but solely to maintain territorial integrity and security and save national interests. As well as maintaining a strategic industry that has something to do with state sovereignty.

"For example, Pertamina's refinery and terminal, this is also an inseparable part of our power title," he said.

Meanwhile, in the context of strengthening, the Minister of Defense said that his party was also preparing troops and building a battalion base that reached remote parts of the country.

"Besides designing troops, we are also building bases from battalions scattered throughout Indonesia," he concluded.