Prabowo Subianto on Defence Policy

Prabowo Subianto, having served as Defence Minister before assuming the presidency, has consistently championed a significant bolstering of Indonesia's military capabilities, linking national prosperity directly to security strength. His stated ambition is to elevate the defence budget from under 1 percent of GDP to 1.5 percent by 2029, focusing capital expenditure on modernising air and naval assets like the acquisition of Rafale fighter jets and Scorpène submarines. This drive represents a continuation of efforts begun during his ministerial tenure, which invigorated procurement pipelines for high-end technologies, moving away from the previous administration's primary focus on domestic economic development.

His approach includes centralising decision-making power over defence and foreign policy, aiming to create coherence absent under his predecessor where policy execution was fragmented. This has involved the establishment of the National Defence Council to provide strategic advice directly to the president, and a focus on developing indigenous defence capabilities alongside securing foreign partnerships for technology transfer. However, critics note that this increased focus on hardware procurement has, at times, overshadowed the urgent need for a comprehensive refresh of the outdated Defence White Paper and structural reforms within the armed forces.