Indonesia urged to protect new national capital with strong air and cyber defense system

 

Indonesia is looking HISAR air defense systems from Turkey. Photo c/o ROKETSAN.

The Indonesian Government was urged to invest and build an effective air and cyber defense systems to protect its new capital city Nusantara, which is proposed to be established in the province of East Kalimantan.

Indonesia’s National Resilience Insititute (LEMHANNAS) believes that the country should learn from experiences by Ukraine in its war with Russia, and predicts that any attack on the new capital city would begin with cyber and  airborne threats, and involves new technologies.

LEMHANNAS Governor Andi Widjajanto said that future conflicts would be hybrid and would tend to be a high-tech fight at the beginning of the battle, as shown by how Russia uses various ways to attack Ukraine and its cities.

This may include cyber attacks to disable utility services like power, and the use of air assets including hypersonic and supersonic missiles, surveillance and suicide drones.

LEMHANNAS urged the Indonesian Government to adapt the latest technologies in cyber and air defense systems, with the new capital Nusantara becoming the “heart” of Indonesia’s defense system in which the risks of such attacks should be mitigated.

The Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) is planning to invest in multi-layer air defense systems as part of its Minimum Essential Force (MEF) program, and has been negotiating with several countries and defense companies on the supply of advanced air defense systems.

Indonesia has also started to improve its cyber security systems, including data protection and defense against cyber-attacks, after the country suffered a hike in cyber attacks that exposed the fragility of its cyber security framework.

[1] Jakarta Globe

[2] Tempo

[3] University of Queensland Centre for Policy Futures