Infantry soldiers from the 134th Infantry Battalion (Yonif 134) being inspected during the opening ceremony for "Raider" specialization training
The Indonesian Army has formed a large number of infantrybattalions since it was formed from provisional militias during the Indonesian National Revolution against the Dutch colonial rule, 1945–1949. Today, the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance 2007 lists the Army with 2 brigades (6 battalions) plus 60 other battalions in the KODAMs, or Military Regional Commands, and nine battalions in KOSTRAD, the Army Strategic Reserve Command.[1] There are also around nine airborne battalions.
Indonesian military units are commonly referred to by compound words. Infantry battalions are routinely called as Yonifs which is a portmanteau from "batalyoninfanteri" ('infantry battalion'). They are also commonly referred to by their battalion nicknames, for example: 511th Infantry Battalion - "Dibyatama Yudha".
Organization
The Infantry Branch is the principal and major unit of the Indonesian army combat element. The Infantry element is the largest and main combat troops within the Indonesian army. Kostrad and Kopassus are all part of this branch although it also consists of non-infantry units internally. In Indonesia, there are more than 100 Infantry Battalions spread throughout the country. Green berets are worn by Indonesian Army infantrymen. The Infantry Branch of the Indonesian Army are under the auspices of the Infantry Branch Centre ("Pussenif") which is under the command of a Lieutenant general. The Infantry branch of the Indonesian Army consists of huge numbers of units whereas the International Institute for Strategic Studies' Military Balance 2007 lists the Army with 2 brigades, (6 battalions), plus 60 other battalions in each Military districts ("Kodam") and nine battalions in Kostrad.[1]
The elite infantry battalions of the Indonesian Army are called "Raider Battalions" (raised on 2003) which are specially trained in Raid and Air assault operations (including counter-terrorism, Extraction, Guerrilla and Close combat operations).[2] By strength and capabilities, 1 battalion of Raider infantry is equal to 3 regular infantry battalions combined. There are currently about 49 raider battalions in the Indonesian Army Infantry branch, with the strength of 650 to 800 men per-battalion. It is larger compared to regular infantry battalions which only consists about 450 to 570 infantrymen. Even as the Chief of Staff of the Army (Kasad) is planning in the future to qualify all Infantry battalions (except mechanized) as "Raider"-ready,[2] there are now mechanized battalions which are "Raider"-qualified in addition to their mechanized role. Infantry battalions in the Indonesian Army originates from different combat organisations or corps, there are several infantry battalions part of Kostrad and some are part of the territorial military commands (Kodams), the same case also falls to Raider Infantry battalions. Currently, there are now 3 Airborne infantry brigades in the Indonesian Army which are all "Raider" qualified (called as: Para-raider), and are all part of the Kostrad. The Infantry beret colors of the Indonesian army are as shown below:
Regular Infantry soldiers wear: Light Green Beret with crossed-rifle insignia
Kostrad infantrymen wear: Dark Green Beret with Kostrad emblem, (Airborne units are added a paratrooper wing insignia on the beret)
Raider infantrymen wear: Dark Green beret with bayonet emblem
There are today 5 types of Infantry battalions in the Indonesian Army, which are:
Parachute-Raider Infantry Battalion (abbreviated "Yonif Para Raider"): are Airborne infantry battalions part of Kostrad which are able in Air assault and Raid operations.
Mechanized-Raider Infantry Battalion (abbreviated "Yonif Mekanis Raider"): are Raider infantry battalions which are Mechanized that are special operations-capaable which also can carry out urban warfare and ground mechanized-infantry operations.
Raider Infantry Battalion (abbreviated "Yonif Raider"): are infantry battalions which are basically trained for Raid warfare and Air assault operations.
Mechanized Infantry Battalion (abbreviated "Yonif Mekanis"): are mobilized infantry battalions, equipped with APCs and IFVs.
Infantry Battalion (abbreviated "Yonif"): are light Infantry battalions.
All infantrymen of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the Army included, have capabilities in Jungle warfare.
Soldiers from the 500th Raider Infantry Battalion of the Indonesian Army
In the Indonesian Army, the Raider Infantry (In Indonesia known as Yonif Raider) is a type of specialized-infantry above of regular infantry which are trained to conduct Raids, military extraction (hostage rescue), counter-terrorist, airborne, Guerrilla and Air assault operations. It also is trained to conduct urban and jungle warfare.[3] The first ten battalions of the raider infantry which were inaugurated on December 22, 2003, were formed by transforming 8 battalions of territorial commands and 2 Kostrad battalions. As a counterweight force, the strength of a Raider Infantry Battalion (Yonif Raider) is equivalent to three times the strength of an ordinary/regular infantry battalion (Yonif) in the Army. This infantry unit is back grounded with "Raid" battle tactics known as "Depredation".
Each Raider battalion consists of approximately 810 personnel of all ranks, larger than the normal battalions of around 570 infantrymen. These personnel were given special education and training for six months for modern warfare, guerrilla and anti-guerrilla warfare, and protracted warfare tactics and strategies. Each of these battalions is trained to have triple combat capabilities of ordinary infantry battalions (Yonifs). Raider infantrymen are trained to perform ambushes, airborne and air assault operations, such as foray from helicopters and transport aircraft, while Raider infantrymen in the mechanized battalions are also trained in mechanized and urban warfare operations. 50 personnel each in a Raider battalion are Counter-terrorism qualified with other additional specialized skills. The Kopassus Special Forces Education and Training Center ("Pusdikpassus") located in Batujajar, West Java is where Raider infantrymen get their advance special operations training before being stationed to their respective Raider battalions. Aside from the Raider battalions, the Indonesian Army also fosters "Para-Raider" battalions which are Raider infantry units qualified as Airborne which all are within the Kostrad corps. There are also Raider infantry battalions which are Mechanised (Mekanis Raider) in the Army, the units are the 411th, 412th, and 413th Mechanized-Raider Infantry Battalions which are part of the 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Kostrad Infantry Division and the 113th Raider Infantry Battalion (Mechanized) from the 25th Infantry Brigade, Kodam Iskandar Muda.
Regular infantry battalions below are categorized as Light infantry battalions, which some are "Raider" qualified. They are addressed as "Yonif" (abbreviated from BatalyonInfanteri) in Indonesia, for example Yonif 125 means: 125th Infantry Battalion. The lists are as shown below:
Ken Conboy, Kopassus: Inside Indonesia's Special Forces, Equinox Publishing, Jakarta/Singapore, 2003 - mentions many Indonesian battalions in his history of the special forces from the 1950s to the present.
The Indonesian Army is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the Tentara Keamanan Rakyat (TKR) "People's Security Army" first emerged as a paramilitary and police corps.
The Army Strategic Reserve Command is a combined-arms 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 defence and security operations at the strategic level in accordance with policies under the command of the commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. In contrast to its name ("Reserve"), Kostrad is the main warfare combat unit of the Indonesian Army. While Kopassus is the elite-special forces of the Indonesian Army, Kostrad as "Komando Utama Operasi" or "Principal Operational Command" still maintains as the first-line combat formation of the Indonesian National Armed Forces along with the Kopassus.
Military Regional Command III/Siliwangi is an Indonesian Army Regional Military Command that covers Banten and West Java province.
The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of airborne forces since the Second World War. It was first officially introduced by the British Army in 1942, at the direction of Major-General Frederick "Boy" Browning, commander of the British 1st Airborne Division. It was first worn by the Parachute Regiment in action in North Africa during November 1942.
The Jayakarta Jaya Military Regional Command ; abbreviated Kodam Jaya is the military district of the Indonesian Army which covers the Greater Jakarta area. Its role is to protect and defend the capital city area with other additional tasks, such as to support the local law enforcement and civil authorities.
Special Raider Infantry Battalion 744 or 744th Special Raider Infantry Battalion is a territorial Infantry battalion of the Indonesian Army. It was formerly a part of the 21st Special Raider Infantry Brigade/Komodo Kodam IX/Udayana when East Timor was still part of Indonesia. Established on January 24, 1978, this battalion was headquartered in Los Palos, East Timor now Timor-Leste.
The 1st Infantry Division abbreviated "Divif 1/Kostrad", is an army strategic command division of the Indonesian Army. The divisional commander is a two-star major general.
KODAM IV/Diponegoro or IV Military Regional Command/Diponegoro is a military area command of the Indonesian Army. It covers the provinces of Central Java and Special Region of Yogyakarta on the island of Java. It is named after the Java War hero Prince Diponegoro. It appears to have been first established in 1950, and inherited the heritage of the former 3rd Diponegoro Division and other Central Java infantry units. Diponegoro Division personnel have been very significant in the history of the Indonesian Army. Among its early officers were Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, who served as battalion and regimental commander in the division from 1945-53. Former commanders of the division include Soeharto, a former president of Indonesia. Divisional personnel, including Lieutenant Colonel Untung Syamsuri, were involved in the 30 September Movement events of 1965. Former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was also member of this KODAM when he took command of KOREM 072/Pamungkas at Yogyakarta during his military tenure.
The 2nd Infantry Division abbreviated "Divif 2/Kostrad", is an army strategic reserves command division of the Indonesian Army. The divisional commander is a two-star Major General. The division's headquarters are in Malang.
Kodam IX/Udayana is a military regional command of the Indonesian Army which is responsible for the Lesser Sunda Islands. It was established as part of the 1985 reorganisation of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and included East Timor until that province achieved independence in 1999.
Komando Daerah Militer XVII/Cenderawasih or Kodam XVII/Cenderawasih, is a military area command of the Indonesian Army, as the 17th Kodam, which is responsible for the defense of the provinces of Papua, South Papua, Central Papua and Highland Papua.
Iskandar Muda Military Region Command is a military territorial command of the Indonesian Army. It has been in active service as the local division for Aceh Province. Its emblem is a white elephant, after the war elephants that served in the namesake's army during his rule as Sultan of Aceh.
The 400th Raider Infantry Battalion is one of the 42 active Indonesian Army Raider Infantry Battalions. It was founded on 23 March 1953 and was transformed into its present form on Army Day, 22 December 2003 - one of the first generation Raider Battalions to be raised. The Banteng Raiders honorific honors the battalion being raised in response towards the threat posed by the Darul Islam's armed wing, the Tentara Islam Indonesia, in its area of operations as part of Kodam IV/Diponegoro territorial command, and its origins date back to 1950. It also took part in the events following the 1965 30 September Movement, wherein infantrymen from the Battalion were operationally deployed to Jakarta.
The 3rd Kostrad Infantry Division abbreviated "Divif 3/Kostrad", is an army strategic command division of the Indonesian Army. The divisional commander is a two-star Major General. The division's headquarters are in Gowa. It is the newest of all the infantry divisions of the Kostrad.
General Feisal Edno Tanjung, known as Feisal Tanjung, was an Indonesian Army general who was ABRI Commander and also served as Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security of the Republic of Indonesia. He had experience in combat, territorial and education. Much of his career was spent in special forces, Sandhi Yudha RPKAD Group (Kopassus) and later at the Kostrad 17th Airborne Infantry Brigade.
Airborne Raider Infantry Battalion 305th / Skull is an Indonesian Army unit. It is one of the three Battalions of the Raiders in the 17th Airborne Raider Infantry Brigade, 1st Kostrad Infantry Division. This Infantry Battalion was established on September 7, 1949 in Bintaran Kulon, Yogyakarta.
The Indonesian Army and Marine Corps have several infantry brigades. These brigades normally consisted of about three infantry battalions. Currently the Army has 22 brigades and the Marine Corps has 4.
The Indonesian Military Regional Commands also known officially as Military Area Commands are military districts of the Indonesian Army that function for the territorial defense of various regions within the country. They cover one or multiple provinces.
The Combat Reconnaissance Platoon is an elite special unit formation of the Indonesian Army in a platoon level to conduct special reconnaissance (SR) operations. Its members are recruited from the Indonesian Army's elite Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad). Tontaipur is part of the Kostrad Intelligence Battalion and members report directly to the Kostrad commander. Formed on 8 August 2001 by then-Kostrad commander Ryamizard Ryacudu, the unit has been deployed in several conflicts in the Indonesian archipelago, ranging from separatist conflicts in Aceh and Papua, to counter-terrorism in Poso. Members of the Tontaipur are generally trained in reconnaissance and close combat. Aside from that, Tontaipur members are also trained for land, air and sea combat special operation, similar to other special units within the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The unit's main duties are to infiltrate enemy territory, gathering intelligence, carrying out sabotage, launching ambushes, etc.
The Raider Battalion is one of the elite infantry battalions of the Indonesian Army. The ten raider battalions, which were inaugurated on December 22 2003, were formed by liquidating 8 regional military commands infantry battalions and 2 Kostrad infantry battalions. This infantry unit is based on the "Raid" battle tactic.
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