They write a lot and often about special-purpose units of foreign countries. American "Delta", British SAS, German GSG-9 - who does not know these sensational names? However, not only the developed countries of the West have effective special forces units. Many states of the "third world" at one time were forced to acquire their own special forces, since the specifics of the political situation in most Asian, African, Latin American countries presupposed, firstly, a constant readiness for all sorts of uprisings and coups, and secondly, the need to suppress separatist and revolutionary rebel movements, most often operating in forests or mountains.
Southeast Asia for a long time after the end of World War II remained one of the most famous "hot spots" on the planet. In all the countries of Indochina, as well as in the Philippines, in Malaysia, Indonesia, partisan wars were fought. Communist rebels, or fighters for independence from among national minorities, fought first against the European colonialists, then against local governments. The situation was aggravated by the presence in most of the region's countries of excellent conditions for waging guerrilla warfare - here both mountain ranges and impenetrable forests are found all the time. Therefore, already in the early 1950s. many young states of Southeast Asia felt the need to create their own anti-terrorist and counter-guerrilla units that could effectively solve the tasks assigned to them in the field of reconnaissance, combating terrorism, and rebel groups. At the same time, their creation implied the possibility of using both the advanced experience of Western special services and special forces, whose instructors were invited to train local "special forces", and national experience - the same anti-colonial and anti-Japanese rebel movements.
The origins are in the struggle for independence
The history of the Indonesian special forces also has its roots in the fight against the rebels of the Republic of the South Molluk Islands. As you know, the proclamation of political sovereignty by Indonesia was taken by its former metropolis - the Netherlands - without much enthusiasm. For a long time, the Dutch maintained centrifugal tendencies in the Indonesian state. On December 27, 1949, the former Dutch East Indies became a sovereign state, initially called the "United States of Indonesia". However, the founder of the Indonesian statehood, Ahmed Sukarno, did not want to preserve the federal structure of Indonesia and saw it as a strong unitary state, devoid of such a "time bomb" as an administrative division along ethnic lines. Therefore, almost immediately after the proclamation of sovereignty, the Indonesian leadership began work to transform the "United States" into a unitary state.
Naturally, not all Indonesian regions liked this. First of all, the South Molluksky Islands were alarmed. After all, the majority of the population of Indonesia is Muslim, and only in the South Molluk Islands, due to the specifics of historical development, a significant number of Christians live. In the Dutch East Indies, immigrants from the Molluk Islands enjoyed the trust and sympathy of the colonial authorities due to their confessional affiliation. For the most part, it was they who made up the bulk of the colonial troops and the police. Therefore, the decision to create a unitary Indonesia was received with hostility by the inhabitants of the South Molluk Islands. On April 25, 1950, the Republic of the South Molluk Islands - Maluku-Selatan was proclaimed. On August 17, 1950, Sukarno declared Indonesia a unitary republic, and on September 28, 1950, the invasion of the South Molluk Islands by Indonesian government forces began. Naturally, the forces of the parties were unequal, and after a little over a month, on November 5, 1950, supporters of the independence of the South Molluk Islands were driven out of the city of Ambon.
On the island of Seram, the retreating rebels launched a guerrilla war against the Indonesian government forces. Against the partisans, the brutal power superiority of the Indonesian ground forces turned out to be ineffective, in connection with which among the officers of the Indonesian army, the question of creating commando units adapted for counter-partisan actions began to be discussed. Lieutenant Colonel Slamet Riyadi was the author of the idea for the creation of the Indonesian special forces, but he died in battle before his idea was implemented. However, on April 16, 1952, the Kesko TT unit - "Kesatuan Komando Tentara Territorium" ("Third Territorial Command") was formed as part of the Indonesian army.
Colonel Kavilarang
Colonel Alexander Evert Kavilarang (1920-2000) became the founding father of the Indonesian special forces. By origin Minahasians (Minahasians inhabit the northeast of the island of Sulawesi and profess Christianity), Kavilarang, as his name implies, was also a Christian. His father served in the colonial forces of the Dutch East Indies with the rank of major - the Christian faith favored a military career - and was involved in training recruits from among the local population. Alexander Kavilarang also chose a military career and enlisted in the colonial forces, having received the appropriate training and officer rank. During World War II, when the territory of Indonesia was occupied by Japan, he participated in the anti-Japanese movement, several times came into the field of view of the Japanese special services and was severely tortured. It was during the war years that he became a supporter of the political independence of Indonesia, although he served as a liaison officer at the headquarters of the British troops that liberated the Malay archipelago from the Japanese invaders.
After the proclamation of Indonesia's independence, Kavilarang, who had a special education and experience in military service in the colonial forces, became one of the founders of the Indonesian national army. He participated in the suppression of the uprising in South Sulawesi, and then in the hostilities against the rebels of the South Molluk Islands. The latter was particularly challenging as many of the insurgents had themselves served in the Dutch colonial forces in the past and were well trained in combat. Moreover, the rebels were trained by Dutch instructors who were stationed in the South Molluk Islands in order to destabilize the political situation in Indonesia.
When the decision was made to create Kesko, Kavilarang personally selected an experienced instructor for the new unit. It was a certain Mohamad Ijon Janbi, a resident of West Java. In his "past life" Mohamad's name was Raucus Bernardus Visser and he was a major in the Dutch army who served in a special unit, and after his retirement settled in Java and converted to Islam. Major Raucus Visser became the first commanding officer of Kesko. Influenced by the traditions of the Dutch army, a similar element of uniform was introduced in the Indonesian special forces - a red beret. The training was also based on the training programs of the Dutch commandos. It was initially decided to train Indonesian special forces in Bandung. On May 24, 1952, the training of the first group of recruits began, and on June 1, 1952, the training center and unit headquarters were relocated to Batu Jahar in the west of Java. One commando company was formed, which already at the beginning of December 1952 g.received the first combat experience in an operation to pacify the rebels in West Java.
Subsequently, the Indonesian special forces more than once had to fight on the territory of the country against rebel organizations. At the same time, the special forces participated not only in counter-partisan operations, but also in the destruction of the communists and their supporters, which followed the coming to power of General Suharto. Commando units wiped out an entire village on the island of Bali, then fought on the island of Kalimantan - in 1965 Indonesia tried to capture the provinces of Sabah and Sarawak, which became part of Malaysia. Over the decades of its existence, the Indonesian army special forces have gone through several renames. In 1953 it received the name "Korps Komando Ad", in 1954 - "Resimen Pasukan Komando Ad" (RPKAD), in 1959 - "Resimen Para Komando Ad", in 1960 - "Pusat Pasukan Khusus As", in 1971 - "Korps Pasukan Sandhi Yudha". Only on May 23, 1986, the unit received its modern name - "Komando Pasukan Khusus" (KOPASSUS) - "Special Forces Commando Troops".
It is noteworthy that Colonel Alexander Kavilarang, who directly created the Indonesian special forces, later turned into one of the leaders of the anti-government movement. In 1956-1958. he served as military attaché in the United States, but resigned from the prestigious post and led the Permesta insurgency in northern Sulawesi. The reason for this act was the change in political convictions of Kavilarang - after analyzing the current situation in Indonesia, he became a supporter of the federal type of political structure of the country. Recall that in those years, Indonesia, headed by Sukarno, developed relations with the Soviet Union and was viewed by the United States as one of the strongholds of the communist expansion in Southeast Asia. It is not surprising that Colonel Kavilarang became the leader of the anti-government movement after a trip to the United States as a military attaché.
At least, it was the United States that was profitable at that moment to destabilize the political situation in Indonesia by supporting the separatist groups. The Permesta organization, led by Kavilarang, operated with direct support from US intelligence. CIA agents supplied the rebels with weapons and trained them. Also on the side of the rebels were American, Taiwanese and Filipino mercenaries. So the colonel had to face his brainchild, only this time as an enemy. However, by 1961, the Indonesian army had succeeded in suppressing pro-American rebels. Kavilarang was arrested but later released from prison. After his release, he focused on organizing the veterans of the Indonesian army and the Dutch colonial forces.
Red berets KOPASSUS
Perhaps the most famous commander of the Indonesian special forces is Lieutenant General Prabovo Subianto. Currently, he has long retired and is engaged in business and social and political activities, and once he served for a long time in the Indonesian special forces and participated in most of its operations. Moreover, Prabovo is considered the only Indonesian officer who has undergone combat training of the German special forces GSG-9. Prabovo was born in 1951 and graduated from the Military Academy in Magelang in 1974. In 1976, the young officer began serving in the Indonesian special forces and became the commander of the 1st group of the Sandhi Yudha team. In this capacity, he participated in hostilities in East Timor.
In 1985, Prabowo studied in the United States on courses at Fort Benning. In 1995-1998. He served as Commandant General of KOPASSUS, and in 1998 was appointed Commander of the Army of the Strategic Command Reserve.
By 1992, the Indonesian special forces numbered 2,500 servicemen, and in 1996 the personnel already numbered 6,000 servicemen. Analysts associate the increase in the number of divisions with the growing risks of local wars, the activation of Islamic fundamentalists and national liberation movements in a number of regions of Indonesia. As for the structure of the Indonesian special forces troops, it looks like this. KOPASSUS is part of the Ground Forces of the Indonesian Armed Forces. At the head of the command is the commandant general with the rank of major general. The commanders of five groups are subordinate to him. The position of the group commander corresponds to the military rank of colonel.
Three groups are paratroopers - commandos who undergo airborne training, while the third group is training. The fourth group, Sandhy Yudha, stationed in Jakarta, is recruited from among the best fighters of the first three groups and is focused on performing reconnaissance and sabotage missions behind enemy lines. The group is subdivided into teams of five fighters who conduct territorial reconnaissance, studying the territory of a potential enemy and identifying those categories of its population that, in the event of a war, can become voluntary or mercenary assistants of the Indonesian special forces. The group's fighters also work in Indonesian cities - especially in politically unstable regions such as Irian Jaya or Aceh. Fighters focused on combat operations in the city undergo a special course of combat training under the "Waging War in Urban Conditions" program.
The fifth KOPASSUS group is called Pasukan Khusus-angkatan Darat and is an anti-terrorist unit. The best of the best are selected for it - the most proven fighters of the 4th reconnaissance and sabotage group. The functional duties of the fifth group, in addition to the fight against terror, also include accompanying the President of Indonesia on foreign trips. The size of the group is 200 servicemen, subdivided into teams of 20-30 fighters. Each team consists of assault and sniper squads. The training of fighters is carried out according to the methods of the German special forces GSG-9.
Not every young Indonesian who has expressed a desire to enter the commando service will be able to pass a rigorous selection. Currently, the population of Indonesia is about 254 million people. Naturally, with such a population, most of which are young people, the Indonesian army has a lot of people who want to enter the military service and, accordingly, has a choice. The selection of recruits consists of a health check, which must be ideal, as well as the level of physical fitness and morale. Those who have undergone medical examination, psychological testing and screening through the special services, undergo physical readiness tests for nine months, including a commando training course.
Recruits are taught how to conduct combat in forest and mountainous areas, how to survive in the natural environment, they undergo airborne training, diving and mountaineering training, and learn the basics of electronic warfare. In the airborne training of special forces, training in landing into the jungle is included as a special item. There are also requirements for language proficiency - a fighter must speak at least two Indonesian languages, and an officer must also speak a foreign language. In addition to training by Indonesian instructors, the unit is constantly adopting the combat experience of American, British and German special forces. Since 2003, Indonesian special forces have been conducting annual joint exercises with Australian commandos from SAS Australia, and since 2011 - joint exercises with special forces of the PRC.
The most famous anti-terrorist operation KOPASSUS was the release of hostages at Don Muang airport in 1981. Then, in May 1996, Indonesian special forces released researchers from the World Wildlife Fund of UNESCO, captured by rebels from the Free Papua Movement. Then the Papuan rebels took hostage 24 people, including 17 Indonesians, 4 British, 2 Dutch and 1 German. For several months the hostages were in the jungle of Irian Jaya province together with their captors. Finally, on May 15, 1996, the Indonesian special forces found the place where the hostages were being held and took it by storm. By this time, the rebels were holding 11 people hostage, the rest were released earlier, in the course of negotiations. Eight hostages were released, but two injured hostages died from blood loss. As for the rebels, eight of their detachment were killed and two were arrested. For the Indonesian special forces, the operation went without losses.
The current command of KOPASSUS is Major General Doni Monardo. He was born in 1963 in West Java and received his military education in 1985 at the Military Academy. During the years of service, Doni Monardo participated in hostilities against rebel groups in East Timor, Aceh and some other regions. Prior to his appointment as Commandant General of KOPASSUS, Monardo commanded the Indonesian Presidential Guard, until he replaced Major General Agus Sutomo in command of the Indonesian Special Forces in September 2014.
Combat swimmers
It should be noted that KOPASSUS is not the only special unit of the Indonesian armed forces. The Indonesian naval forces also have their own special forces. This is KOPASKA - "Komando Pasukan Katak" - combat swimmers of the Indonesian fleet. The history of the creation of this special unit also goes back to the period of the struggle for independence. As you know, having agreed with the political sovereignty of Indonesia, proclaimed in 1949, the Dutch authorities for a long time retained control over the western part of the island of New Guinea and did not intend to transfer it under the control of Indonesia.
By the early 1960s. Indonesian President Sukarno found it possible to annex Western New Guinea to Indonesia by force. Since the fighting to liberate Western New Guinea from the Dutch involved the participation of the naval forces, on March 31, 1962, by order of Sukarno, special operations forces of the Navy were created. Initially, the Navy had to "rent" 21 special forces from the commandos of the ground forces KOPASSUS, then called "Pusat Pasukan Khusus As". After carrying out the planned operations, 18 of the 21 army special forces wanted to continue serving in the navy, but this was opposed by the command of the ground forces, who did not want to lose the best soldiers. Therefore, the Indonesian Navy itself had to attend to the issues of recruiting and training a detachment of naval special forces.
The task of the combat swimmers was the destruction of the enemy's underwater structures, including ships and naval bases, conducting naval reconnaissance, preparing the coast for landing marines and fighting terrorism in water transport. In peacetime, seven members of the team are involved in the security of the President and Vice President of Indonesia. Indonesian combat swimmers have borrowed a lot from similar units of the US Navy. In particular, training of instructors for the Indonesian combat swimmer unit is still ongoing in Coronado, California, and Norfolk, Virginia.
Currently, the training of combat swimmers is carried out at the KOPASKA school in the Special Training Training Center, as well as in the Naval War Training Center. Selection for the "underwater special forces" is carried out according to very strict criteria.
First of all, men under the age of 30 with at least two years of experience in the Navy are selected. Recruitment of candidates takes place annually at all naval bases in Indonesia. Applicants who meet the requirements are sent to the KOPASKA Training Center. As a result of selection and preparation, out of 300 - 1500 candidates, only 20-36 people pass the initial stage of selection. As for the full-fledged fighters of the unit, during the year the group may not have any replenishment at all, since many candidates are eliminated even at the later stages of training. Usually, only a few people out of several hundred who entered the training center at the initial stage of preparation achieve their dreams. Currently, the detachment has 300 troops, divided into two groups. The first group is subordinate to the command of the Western Fleet, based in Jakarta, and the second - to the command of the Eastern Fleet, based in Surabaya. In peacetime, combat swimmers participate in peacekeeping operations outside the country, and also act as rescuers during emergencies.
Amphibians and ocean deathbringers
Also under the command of the Navy are Taifib, the famous "amphibians". These are the reconnaissance battalions of the Indonesian Marine Corps, considered the elite units of the Marine Corps and recruited through a selection of the best marines. On March 13, 1961, the Marine Corps Team was created, on the basis of which the amphibious reconnaissance battalion was created in 1971. The main functions of the "amphibians" are naval and ground reconnaissance, ensuring the landing of troops from landing ships. The Marines selected to serve in the battalion undergo lengthy specialized training. The unit's headdress is purple berets. To get into the unit, a Marine must be no older than 26 years old, have at least two years of experience in the Marine Corps and meet the physical and psychological characteristics of the requirements for special forces soldiers. The preparation of the "amphibians" lasts almost nine months in East Java. The Indonesian Navy currently has two amphibious battalions.
In 1984, another elite unit was created as part of the Indonesian Navy - Detasemen Jala Mangkara / Denjaka, which translates as the "Deadly Ocean Squad". Its tasks include the fight against terrorism at sea, but in fact it is capable of performing the functions of a reconnaissance and sabotage unit, including fighting behind enemy lines. The best personnel are selected for the unit from the KOPASKA combat swimmers squad and from the reconnaissance battalion of the Marine Corps. Denjaka Squad is part of the Marine Corps of the Indonesian Navy, therefore the Marine Corps Commander is responsible for its general training and support, and the special training of the squad is in the competence of the Commander of the Armed Forces of the Strategic Special Services. Denjaka currently consists of one squad, which includes headquarters, combat and engineering teams. Since 2013, the detachment has been commanded by Marine Corps Colonel Nur Alamsyah.
Air strike
The Indonesian Air Force also has its own special forces. In fact, the special forces of the Indonesian Air Force are the country's airborne troops. Their official name is Paskhas, or Special Forces Corps. His servicemen wear an orange head beret, which differs from the "red berets" of the special forces of the ground forces. The main tasks of the Air Force special forces include: the capture and protection of airfields from enemy forces, the preparation of airfields for the landing of aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force or Allied aviation. In addition to airborne training, Air Force special forces personnel also receive training for air traffic controllers.
The history of the Air Force special forces began on October 17, 1947, even before the official recognition of the country's independence. In 1966, three assault regiments were created, and in 1985 - a Special Purpose Center. The number of Air Force special forces reaches 7,300 servicemen. Each soldier has airborne training, and also undergoes training for combat operations on water and land. Currently, the Indonesian command plans to expand the Air Force special forces to 10 or 11 battalions, that is, to double the number of this special unit. A special forces battalion is based at almost every airfield of the Air Force, which performs the functions of guarding and air defense of airfields.
In 1999, on the basis of Paskhas, it was decided to create another special unit - Satgas Atbara. The task of this detachment is to counter terrorism in air transport, first of all - to free hostages from hijacked aircraft. The initial composition of the detachment included 34 people - a commander, three group commanders and thirty fighters. The selection of servicemen for the unit is carried out in the Air Force special forces - the most trained soldiers and officers are invited. Currently, five to ten recruits from among the best special forces of the Air Force come to the unit annually. After being enrolled in the detachment, they undergo a special training course.
President's safety
Another elite special unit in Indonesia is Paspampres, or the President's Security Force. They were created during the reign of Sukarno, who survived several assassination attempts and was concerned about ensuring his personal safety. On June 6, 1962, a special regiment "Chakrabirava" was created, the duties of soldiers and officers of which included the personal protection of the president and his family members. The unit recruited the most trained soldiers and officers from the army, navy, air force and police. In 1966, the regiment was disbanded, and the duties of protecting the president of the country were assigned to a special group of the military police. However, ten years later, on January 13, 1966, a new presidential security service was created - Paswalpres, that is, the presidential guard, subordinate to the Minister of Defense and Security.
In the 1990s. The presidential guard was renamed the Presidential Security Forces (Paspampres). This unit consists of three groups - A, B and C. Groups A and B provide security for the President and Vice President of Indonesia, and Group C guards the heads of foreign states arriving on a visit to Indonesia. The total number of Paspampres currently stands at 2,500 under the command of a superior with the rank of Major General. Each group has its own commander with the rank of colonel. In 2014, the fourth group was created - D. The selection of servicemen to serve in the presidential guard is carried out in all types of the armed forces, primarily in the elite special forces KOPASSUS, KOPASKA and some others, as well as in the marines. Each candidate undergoes rigorous selection and effective training, with an emphasis on shooting accuracy and mastering the martial arts of close combat, primarily the traditional Indonesian martial art "Penchak Silat".
In addition to the listed special forces, Indonesia also has police special forces. This is the Mobile Brigade (Brigade Mobil) - the oldest unit, numbering about 12 thousand employees and used as an analogue of the Russian OMON; Gegana, a special forces unit formed in 1976 to combat air terrorism and hostage-taking; anti-terrorist detachment Detachment 88, which has existed since 2003 and carries out tasks in the fight against terrorism and insurgency. Units of the Mobile Brigade took part in almost all internal conflicts in Indonesia since the 1940s. - from the dispersal of demonstrations and suppression of riots to the fight against insurgent movements in certain regions of the country. Moreover, the police special forces had experience in military operations with the forces of an external enemy. The mobile brigade took part in the liberation of Western New Guinea from the Dutch colonialists in 1962, in the armed conflict with Malaysia over the provinces of North Kalimantan Sabah and Sarawak. Naturally, this unit was also one of the main shock troops of the Indonesian government in the fight against internal opposition.
Indonesian special forces, trained by American instructors, are considered to be among the strongest in Southeast Asia. However, several other countries in the region, which will be discussed another time, also have no less effective commando units.
