Prabowo: Independence Of The Defense Industry To Realize A Strong National Defense

Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto/PHOTO VIA ANTARA

JAKARTA - The Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto, emphasized that the independence of the defense industry is very important in realizing a strong, advanced and independent national defense system.

Prabowo said this during a working visit to the Energetic Material Center area owned by PT Dahana (Persero) in Subang, West Java, Monday, November 1, to check the readiness of the defense industry, especially ammunition and rocket boosters at PT Dahana.

According to him, a strong industry is expected to have a multiplier impact, both on economic development and technological mastery for the Indonesian people.

"The independence of the defense industry is also expected to realize a shift in understanding from defense spending to defense investment," Prabowo said as quoted by Antara.

Prabowo also reminded PT Dahana to always do the best work for the nation in order to bring the domestic defense industry forward.

Currently, PT Dahana is innovating in all its business lines, including the propellant industry which will later become the raw material for small-caliber ammunition and large-caliber ammunition for defense and security stakeholders.

A propellant is a bullet or rocket propulsion material, which is the main component of munitions for the needs of Small Caliber Munitions and Large Caliber Munitions, as well as rocket fuel. So far, domestic needs have been imported from abroad so that it burdens the country's foreign exchange and is prone to embargoes.

The government through Presidential Regulation Number 8/2021 concerning the General Policy of National Defense 2020-2024 states that one of the key technological mastery targets for the 2020-2024 priority program is ammunition and rocket propulsion materials.

The construction of the propellant plant is expected to create the independence of the upstream national defense industry, create a deterrent effect, a multiplier effect, provide a guaranteed supply of munitions, and import substitution.

Meanwhile, the President Director of PT Dahana, Wildan Widarman, explained that the development of the ammunition and rocket propulsion industry has been running. The first phase has been initiated by the Ministry of Defense by building a nitroglycerin plant, an acid plant, and supporting facilities for the propellant industry, including electric transformer substations, water treatment plants, laboratories, and ballistic test facilities.

"Together with the Ministry of Defense's Balitbang, currently we are continuing to build a spherical powder factory so that Indonesia can be independent and have a vibrating effect in the region," he said.

During his stay at PT Dahana, Prabowo also toured PT Dahana's production facilities, one of which was the nitroglycerin factory built by the Ministry of Defense.

"Through this working visit of the defense minister, it is hoped that it can further strengthen the commitment of the Ministry of Defense in empowering domestic industries to strengthen national defense," he said.