Indonesia Army Joint To China Army Armament System

Over the past few years Indonesia has broadened its horizons in the search for effective defence equipment for the TNI. One of the reasons behind this was a search for affordable solutions, there was also the legacy of the various supply embargos that had been imposed on Indonesia supplier diversity was a very important consideration. On top of this the political situation had changed both in Indonesia and abroad, opening up a host of new possibilities.

 For many years Indonesia had very negative relations with China, for a variety of different reasons. Yet China was another one of those countries that had supplied Indonesia in the Sukarno era. At that time China was part of the Soviet bloc and responded to the Soviet Union’s decision to aid Indonesia, supplying somewhat elderly and well used Lavotchkin La-11 fighters and Tupolev Tu-2 bombers, and far more useful MiG-17 fighters. Today, China’s growing economic strength and its emergence as a potential regional superpower, has
seen Indonesia forge new diplomatic and trade relationships with Beijing.

These new links have also resulted in the TNI purchasing Chinese defence equipment and at a political
level there have been discussions on further strengthening defence cooperation between Jakarta and Beijing,
with issues such as missile development being mentioned. In terms of equipment from China, all three Indonesian services have found something to interest them. The Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) has acquired the C-802 (YJ-82) antiship missile which it is installing on its Todak class of locally built FPB57
NAV V large patrol craft replacing time expired MM38 missiles. Each of these patrol craft will receive two
C-802 launch canisters.