Kostrad

Kostrad

Insignia of Kostrad
Active 1961–present
Country Indonesia
Branch Indonesian Army
Role Strategic Quick Reaction Force
Size 27,000 (1998)[1]
Headquarters Jakarta
Commanders
Current commander Letjen Mulyono

Kostrad (Komando Cadangan Strategis Angkatan Darat: "Army Strategic Command") is a formation of the Indonesian Army. Kostrad is a Corps level command which has up to 35,000 troops. It also supervises operational readiness among all commands and conducts defense and security operations at the strategic level in accordance with policies of the TNI commander.

As a corps, Kostrad is commanded by a Panglima (Commander-in-Chief), usually a lieutenant general. Kostrad falls under the army chief of staff for training, personnel, and administration.[2] However, it comes under the Commander-in-Chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces for operational command and deployment. Kostrad typically receives best equipments in the Army and its two armored battalions will soon receive Leopard 2A4 and Leopard 2 Revolution tanks.

Starting 1984 the Panglima of Kostrad (Pangkostrad) has been charged to lead the conduct of combat operations, called defense and security operations.

History

Kostrad came into being during military action for Indonesia's take over of Western New Guinea in 1960, and was formally constituted on 6 March 1961.[3] Initially designated the Army General Reserve Corps, its name was changed to Kostrad in 1963.

General Suharto, was appointed as the first head of Kostrad in 1961, and it was in this role that he was able assert the army's control in the days following the abortive coup attempt on the evening of 30 September 1965, which ultimately led to Suharto replacing Sukarno as Indonesian president.

The command's troops have fought in most Indonesian military operations since their formation, such as G-30-S/PKI (30 September Movement/Indonesian Communist Party), Trisula, the PGRS (Sarawak People's Guerrilla Force) in Sarawak, the PARAKU (North Kalimantan People's Force) in North Kalimantan, and Operation Seroja in East Timor.

Kostrad troops have also been used beyond Indonesia's borders, as was the case with Garuda Contingent in Egypt (1973–78) and Vietnam (1973–75) and with those in the United Nations Iran–Iraq Military Observer Group in the midst of the Iran–Iraq War of 1989 and 1990.

Strength

Kostrad had a strength of 27,000 in 1998[1] and its primary components consist of two infantry divisions and an independent airborne brigade.

There were as of early 1998 a total of 33 airborne and infantry battalions within Kostrad. Each division contained three infantry and/or airborne brigades; an armoured battalion; cavalry reconnaissance company; field artillery regiment of three battalions; air defence artillery battalion; combat engineer battalion; supply and transportation battalion; medical battalion; signal company; military police company; field maintenance company; and a personnel and administrative detachment.[4]

There have been several reports that a third division was to be formed for KOSTRAD, for example in an announcement by then KOSTRAD commander Lieutenant General Hadi Waluyo on 16 March 2005.[6] Waluyo's announcement indicated that the new division was to be formed around the 3rd Airborne Infantry Brigade, which would be shifted to a new site in Papua once the expansion programme had advanced further. However, despite this and other announcements, no third division has yet been established.

List of Kostrad Commanders

Many Kostrad commanders have gone on to very senior Indonesian posts. Suharto became President; General Rudini became Minister of Home Affairs; General Wismoyo is married to the sister of Suharto's late wife; and Lieutenant General Tarub became the armed forces' Chief of the General Staff.[7] General Wirahadikusumah would later become Vice President.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jane's Defence Weekly, 15 April 1998, p.34
  2. ↑ John Haseman, 'Indonesian strategic command upgraded,' Jane's Intelligence Review, March 1997, p.130
  3. ↑ Globalsecurity.org, Kostrad, quoting Library of Congress Country Study Indonesia, link verified December 2009
  4. ↑ 'Indonesia: keeping its forces at full stretch,' Jane's Defence Weekly, 15 April 1998, p.34-35
  5. ↑ The 3rd Airborne Infantry Brigade commander Col Djoko Subandrio have just finished the BSTF commander in West Timor in Sep 03. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/thaipkf03/TNI1.html&date=2009-10-25+22:48:03, accessed February 2009
  6. ↑ Robert Karniol, 'Indonesia boosts eastern region defence,' Jane's Defence Weekly, 30 March 2005, Vol 42, No. 13, p.15.
  7. ↑ Generals Rudini, Wismoyo, and Tarub were all named as former commanders by John Haseman, 'Indonesian strategic command upgraded,' Jane's Intelligence Review, March 1997, p.130
  8. ↑ "Mutasi TNI AD Terhadap Moeldoko dan 7 Perwira Tinggi Lainnya". May 21, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Kasad Lantik Letjen TNI Gatot Nurmantyo sebagai Pangkostrad". June 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Lagi-lagi, 59 Perwira TNI Dimutasi". September 10, 2014.

External links