Two Years of Prabowo-Gibran: Establishment of New Military Commands and New Units within the TNI
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Strengthening national defense has been a key agenda for President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka over the past two years.
One significant initiative has been the expansion of the organizational structure of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), including the addition of Military Regional Commands (Kodam) and the establishment of hundreds of battalions and new units.
On August 10, 2025, President Prabowo inaugurated six new Kodam, 20 Territorial Infantry Brigades (Brigif TP), and 100 Territorial Infantry Battalions (Yonif TP).
A year later, Prabowo inaugurated an additional 204 new units within the TNI, including six new Kodam, 30 Brigif TP, and 150 Yonif TP.
Thus, during the two-year administration of Prabowo and Gibran, the TNI established 12 new Kodam.
The formation of these units is part of an organizational restructuring aimed at enhancing capabilities across land, sea, and air.
Expanding the military organization comes with implications for personnel, facilities, training, and budgets.
The creation of new units not only relates to command structure augmentation but also to the readiness of soldiers and the units' capability to perform defense tasks.
Political and military analyst from Universitas Nasional (Unas), Selamat Ginting, stated that forming new Kodam should be viewed as an effort to strengthen regional command structures, particularly in strategic and archipelagic areas.
"From a doctrinal perspective, the rationale for shortening command control spans is quite understandable. Indonesia is an archipelagic nation with vast territory, bordering many countries, and facing increasingly complex threats," Ginting told Kompas.com on Wednesday (October 14, 2026).
However, Ginting cautioned that adding territorial units requires an evaluation to ensure that military organizational development does not lead to bureaucratic expansion without a corresponding enhancement in defense capabilities.
Then, how urgent is the addition of Kodam and hundreds of new units during the two years of Prabowo-Gibran's administration?
12 New Kodam Established Over Two Years
The addition of Kodam is a significant change in the restructuring of the Army's organizational structure during the Prabowo-Gibran administration.
On August 10, 2025, Prabowo inaugurated six new Kodam during a Military Operational and Honor Ceremony in Batujajar, Bandung, West Java.
The six new Kodam are:
- Kodam XIX/Tuanku Tambusai covering Riau and Riau Islands
- Kodam XX/Tuanku Imam Bonjol for West Sumatra and Jambi
- Kodam XXI/Radin Inten for Lampung and Bengkulu
- Kodam XXII/Tambun Bungai for Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan
- Kodam XXIII/Palaka Wira for Central Sulawesi and West Sulawesi
- Kodam XXIV/Mandala Trikora, headquartered in Merauke, South Papua.
These six Kodam complement the existing territorial command structure of the TNI AD.
Their establishment aims to strengthen territorial control and align the organization with defense needs.
In the same year, the government also expanded territorial development units.
At the inauguration in Batujajar, Prabowo announced the formation of 20 Brigif TP and 100 Yonif TP.
This organizational expansion continued in 2026.
During the 81st Anniversary of the TNI, Prabowo inaugurated six additional Kodam, namely:
- Kodam XXV/Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah in Riau Islands
- Kodam XXVI/Mataram in Yogyakarta Special Region
- Kodam XXVII/Sobe Sonbai in East Nusa Tenggara
- Kodam XXVIII/Moloku Kie Raha in North Maluku
- Kodam XXIX/Mambruk in Central Papua
- Kodam XXX/Rinambora in West Nusa Tenggara
In addition to the six Kodam, the inauguration in 2026 also included 30 Brigif TP and 150 Yonif TP.
