General Andika Perkasa's Response To The Vulnerability Of The Nusantara IKN From Air Attacks

TNI Commander General Andika Perkasa accompanied by PBNU Chairman KH Yahya Cholil Staquf at the PBNU Office, Central Jakarta, Monday (23/5/2022) (ANTARA/Syaiful Hakim)

JAKARTA - The Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, General Andika Perkasa, spoke about the vulnerability of the location of the National Capital (IKN) of the Archipelago which is vulnerable to the threat of air attacks.

The Commander in Chief acknowledged that the TNI still has shortcomings when viewed from the defense system aspect, not only in terms of the air force, but also the land and sea units.

"Indeed, if we look at the defense equipment system, we still lack a lot. Not only in the air, but also in the land and sea units," Andika said at the PBNU Office, Central Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Monday, May 23.

Nevertheless, his party thanked the government, in this case the Ministry of Defense, for procuring defense equipment as much as possible.

According to the former Army Chief of Staff (KSAD), the government has tried to provide the most in accordance with the existing state's financial condition.

"But what is clear is that there is no government which then does not try its best in providing the budget, including the current presidential government," said Andika.

Previously, the Governor of the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) Andi Widjajanto said the location of IKN Nusantara in Penajam Paser Utara, East Kalimantan, was vulnerable to threats from outside air attacks.

"Geographically, the Capital of the Archipelago has a high vulnerability to external threats. Especially those from the air," said Andi while delivering a scientific oration at Lemhannas, Thursday, May 19.

Therefore, Andi requested that the anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capacity around IKN needs to be strengthened.

He added that the relocation of the capital city of Jakarta to East Kalimantan needed to be accompanied by a change in the defense paradigm.

"So far, Indonesia's defense has tended to focus on land-based defense by relying on an in-depth defense strategy," said the former Cabinet Secretary (Seskab).

According to Andi, the paradigm is considered no longer optimal because it is not in line with the geographical position and topography of IKN Nusantara