In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the TNI (Indonesian Military), the military organization was faced with the potential of the shift in the TNI’s professionalism. This change marked the military’s legality in the political sphere. The 2025 revision of the TNI Law further opens up space for the TNI to enter politics while simultaneously degrading the role of civilian actors in the defense sector.
This explains Indonesia’s strategic culture, that is when the TNI responds as a military organization to civilian-mandated defense policy directions. The revision of the TNI Law shapes strategic thinking about the TNI’s role, becoming increasingly inward-looking. An inward-looking strategic culture encourages the militarization of civilian space. Consequently, the use of Indonesian military force leads to the TNI’s role in domestic politics.
This is aimed at adjusting the role and function of the TNI within the framework of military operations other than war (MOOTW), such as helping to overcome cyber threats and protecting national interests abroad. This ensures that the TNI will have more adequate capabilities effectively and efficiently as a national defense institution to carry out internally oriented tasks and functions, especially in ministries and institutions that have previously been civilian positions.
During the Guided Democracy period, the Mandala Command was established on December 19, 1961, as an implementation of the People’s Tri Command, and the Standby Command was established to counter British plans for federation (neo-colonialism) in Malaysia, under the Dwi Komando Rakyat (People’s Dual Command) order by President Sukarno. During that era, Indonesia’s strategic culture was outward-looking.
However, this time the situation is very different. The TNI’s increased involvement in domestic politics. This also degrades the TNI’s primary role as a national defense instrument against threats stemming from external political dynamics. As a solution, civilians must encourage the role of the TNI through defense policies that respond to the character of threats, forms of warfare, and developments in military technology at the regional and global levels.
At the regional level, ASEAN has introduced the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy to strengthen cybersecurity coordination in the Southeast Asian region. Indonesia needs to encourage ASEAN to enhance cooperation within the security community framework as a viable defense policy option. This step should be integrated into MOOTW to encourage the Indonesian Army’s Cyber and Cryptography Center to conduct military operations in accordance with the ASEAN Cyber Security Cooperation Strategy guidelines. The MOOTW aims to encourage intensified cooperation within the framework of strengthening regional cyber policy coordination, as developed at the ASEAN Digital Senior Officials Meeting and Ministers Meeting (ADGSOM/ADGMIN). Data from the Indonesia’s National Cyber and Crypto Agency shows that throughout 2022, Indonesia experienced more than 900 million cyber traffic anomalies, while the Ministry of Communication and Informatics noted that 93% of data breaches were caused by weak cybersecurity systems.
ASEAN has initiated various initiatives such as the ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy to enhance cybersecurity coordination and capacity in the region. These technological developments influence the types of threats. Countries frequently cited as potential cyber threats due to their high cyber activity include Russia, China, the United States, Ukraine, and Nigeria, according to the “World Cybercrime Index.” Furthermore, Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam are also prime targets for cyberattacks due to their weak cyber policies and security capabilities. Cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure. The hacking incident at a power plant in Indonesia is suspected to be linked to an attack from China.
The identification of external threats by policy makers formulated in defense policy, encourages Indonesia to adapt to technological developments that will be responded to by the TNI through MOOTW within the framework of international cooperation and collaboration by involving countries with high technological capabilities to be adapted into the Indonesian defense system.
MOOTW is carried out through collaboration that includes exchanging cyber attack information, increasing human resource capacity, and strengthening the national cybersecurity infrastructure within the TNI as a military organization. By referencing the strategic environment into defense policy, Indonesia’s strategic culture will slowly shift towards an outward-looking approach in line with the nature of current threats and defense technology needs.
Yugolastarob Komeini
Researcher at Populi Center for National Security Issues
Indonesian 
English