The commander will deploy the unit only in the interest of the state."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) plans to set up a joint special operations unit comprising elite forces of the army, navy and air force.
"What we are going to set up is not a special force but a joint special operations command," TNI Chief General Moeldoko said after dedicating a TNI museum at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday.
He added that the joint special operations command will be capable of being deployed swiftly in case of an internal or foreign threat, and it will also be deployed to overcome emergency situations.
"All countries that deal with an environment like ours should have special operations units. They should be prepared well and kept on standby," he stated.
The first batch of the unit, he pointed out, will be deployed to standby in Sentul area in Bogor, West Java, for the first six months.
"They will be stationed at certain locations and will be provided with accommodation and logistics so they are always ready for when the TNI commander needs them. In case there is a threat, the commander can caution them," the general explained.
Moeldoko further noted that the joint special operations command will be established as part of the TNIs responsibility towards the government, state and nation.
He affirmed that all personnel of the command will be great people with special capabilities.
"The commander will deploy the unit only in the interest of the state," he remarked.
The first batch of the command will be led by the general commander of the armys special force, Kopassus.
"Later, it may be led by the chief of the navys Marine Corps and then by the chief of the air forces special force, Paskhas. It will be done on a rotation basis," he said, adding that the force will be ready in case it is needed within a matter of minutes or even seconds.
Stating that the maximum strength of the force will be 70, General Moeldoko opined that their capabilities were more important than their number.
(Reporting by Syaiful Hakim/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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