The Indonesian Military (TNI) celebrates its 66th anniversary today amid a glimmer of hope that an expected revivial of the country's long-neglected defense industry will allow it to boost its primary defense systems.

Hopes are high that current restructuring programs will help revitalize state aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia, shipyard PT PAL and weapons producer PT Pindad.

The programs have been supplemented with a planned bill that will force local institutions, particularly the TNI and the National Police, to procure weaponry from the state companies.

Under the bill, the two institutions could be exempt from the current obligation to hold tenures to procure weaponry, if it opts to purchase from local companies.

But critics remain cautious over the efforts amid entrenched brokering practices that lure many officers into fee-seeking businesses by approving overseas purchases for weaponry that could actually be made by local companies.

"In some cases, we were better than overseas companies. But we didn't get the orders as we could not provide 'commissions' and overseas leisure trips for the top brass," said an executive with a state defense company.