Jakarta. Indonesia’s new capital Nusantara should strengthen its air defense by adopting advanced military technologies, as the first battle the metropolis would face would likely be an air-centric one, according to the National Resilience Institute or Lemhannas.

“We predict the first battle to take place in the new capital would be air-centric. One that involves the use of new technologies,” Lemhannas governor Andi Widjajanto told a press briefing on Wednesday.

“It would also be hybrid, and tend to be a high-tech fight at the beginning [of the battle],” Andi added.

According to Andi, the Russia-Ukraine war has shown how far today’s military technology has advanced, particularly the air-centric ones, as seen in the use of drones and hypersonic missiles. 

A combination of cyberattacks and land warfare also occurred at the beginning of the war which triggered a global energy and food crisis.

“So Indonesia must immediately adopt the latest technologies in its air defense and cyber defense. And going forward, drones will rely on artificial intelligence, just like what we have seen in the Ukraine war,” Andi said.

The Lemhannas governor told reporters that “the new state capital will become the heart of Indonesia’s defense. This would bring new strategic risks that we need to mitigate.”

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On Nusantara’s maritime security, Lemhannas suggested that the government should adopt an anti-access or area denial strategy to safeguard the new capital. Located in East Kalimantan, Nusantara is in close proximity to the ALKI II archipelagic sea lane in the Makassar Strait and a choke point. The ALKI II sea lane is an international shipping and trade route.

President Joko “Jokowi'' Widodo decided to move Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan, among others, to spur more equitable growth across the archipelago. The government plans to celebrate the country’s 79th Independence Day in 2024 in Nusantara.

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