Indonesia to focus on defense investment, president says

The Indonesian president on Monday said the government will shift toward investment in defense infrastructure rather than just spending.

In his speech on the 75th anniversary of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, Joko Widodo said with a consistent, sustainable and planned defense investment policy, the military will become a modern war force that keeps up with the foremost technological developments.

Besides organizational transformation, the armed forces must also carry out the technological transformation, he argued.

"We are currently in an era of military technology leaps that will affect future war tactics and strategies," he said in his virtual address from the State Palace in the capital Jakarta.

The president called on the armed forces to continue collaboration with other agencies, including the police.

"Synergy is needed to build a stronger and more effective defense force, the character of a fighter who is always ready to answer the call of duty anytime, anywhere. Therefore, we need professional armed forces who are properly educated and trained," he said.

Widodo thanked military personnel who are serving in remote and frontier areas, and the ones actively involved in humanitarian missions, helping victims of natural disasters and enforcing health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian language services in Jakarta