Indonesia's defense overstretch dilemma

On its 80th anniversary, the Indonesian Military (TNI) faces institutional overstretch. This weakens its core combat capabilities, a problem rooted in the nation's strategic culture shaped by historical legacies of militarism entangled with socio-political roles that has fostered a broad definition of defense, extending well beyond traditional military duties.

To address this, Indonesia can draw inspiration from the United States President Donald Trump's Sept. 5 executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the Department of War in a bid to emphasize its warrior ethos and streamline focus. Guided by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's push to reduce bureaucratic excess and prioritize lethality, transforming Indonesia's Defense Ministry into a "War Ministry" could refocus the TNI on combat readiness by delegating non-military tasks to civilians.

At the heart of this overstretch lies Indonesia's strategic culture, a legacy of the New Order era's dual function doctrine that embedded the military in governance, the economy and society, cultivating a mindset where defense encompassed internal stability and development.