Surabaya – Indonesian Army Chief of Staff General Djoko Santoso has said that the army would prioritize the use of domestic weapons. According to Santoso, his soldiers already use many weapons made by PT Pindad.

"The weapon products manufactured by PT Pindad are good enough and fulfill the needs of the Indonesian Army," said the Army Chief of Staff after officiating at the handing over of the Military Chief position of Brawijaya V from Maj. Gen. Ahmad Djunaidi Sikki to Maj. Gen. Syamsul Mappareppa in Surabaya, East Java, on Thursday (22/06).

Santoso said that the Indonesian Army's use of domestic weapons would reduce its dependency on purchasing weapons from foreign countries.

The Army Chief of Staff added that the equipment currently required by his troops included light weapons, communication tools and transportation facilities.

Asked about the additional Rp2 trillion budget for Indonesian Army, Santoso said that this matter was still being discussed by the government and the House of Representatives (DPR).

If this was realized, the allocation of the budget would be mainly used for soldiers' basic needs, such as housing and transportation. (Kukuh S. Wibowo-Tempo News Room)