Modern Wars

The Indonesian Army
1995-1999

by Mark Bevis

Strategic Reserve

(ie best bits)

1 Infantry Division:

    2 Infantry Bdes@ 3 Infantry Bttns and 1 battery: 8x 120mm mortars
    1 Eng Bttn
    1 Arty Reg : 3 Bttns each with 12x 105mm M101 howitzers
    1 AA Bttn : 36 AAA weapons

1 Infantry Division

    1 Infantry Bde: 3 Infantry Bttns and 1 battery: 8x 120mm mortars
    1 Engineer Bttn
    1 Arty Reg: 3 Bttns each with 12x 105mm M101 howitzers
    1 AA Bttn : 36 AAA

3 Airborne Brigades

    3 Airborne Bttns
    AA battery with 5x RBS-70 SAM
    1 btty : 8x 120mm mortars
    Elite pathfinders

1 AA Bttn: 48x Rapier launchers
2 SF Groups - 2 Bttns@ includes 80 combat frogmen

Regional Defence Force

(ie the bog standard stuff)

8 Regional HQs sharing

    58 Inf Bttns
    4 Para Bttns
    6 Medium AA Bttns@ 36 x 40mm Bofors or 57mm S60
    3 Light AA Bttns@ 36 x 20mm Rh202 AA
    1 Arty Bttn: 12x 76mm M48 mountain guns
    7 Arty Bttns@ 12x 105mm M101 field howitzers
    8 Armoured Cavalry Bttns
    engineer bttns

There is plenty of armour but no dedicated armoured units appear ;

An Inf Bde has 1 ACAV Company:

    CHQ: 2x Stormer APC, 1x Samson ARV
    3 platoons@ 3x Scorpion 90 (Cockerill III)
    2 platoons@ 3x Stormer APC, 3(7 man) squads (Steyr AUG or M16), 3x Minimi LMG, 1x 89mm LRAC

Suggested Armoured Cavalry Units:

1 Battalion:

    Bttn HQ: 2x PT-76, 2x BTR-50PU
    2 Companies@
      CHQ: 2x PT-76
      4 platoons@ 3x PT-76

    1 Company:
      CHQ: 2x BTR-50
      3 platoons @ 3x BTR-50, 3 squads, 1x 89mm LRAC, 3 Minimi
      1 platoon : 3x BTR-50, heavy weapons (75mm M20 RCL?, MMG?, 81mm mortars

6 Battalions @

    Bttn HQ: 2x AMX-13/75, 2x APC
    3 Companies@
      CHQ: 2x AMX-13
      4 platoons@ 3x AMX-13

    1 Company: 14x APC

1 Battalion:

    Bttn HQ: 2x Saracen, 2x Saladin
    3 Companies:@ 14x Saladin
    1 Company: 14x Saracen

The main APC being the BTR-50, and a multitude of types including BMP 2's . There are enough to mechanise all the 9 regular infantry bttns and still some over for the ACAV Bttns. There are enough armoured cars and Scorpions to probably provide a Recce Company per Region HQ, each of 14 armoured cars/light tanks. There are enough 89mm LRAC for 9 per inf/Airborne & Para bttns, i.e. 1 per platoon. There appear to be some 90mm M67 left and infantry allegedly have 75mm M20 RCL and M72 disposable LAW.

Inf Coys appear to be 3 platoons and 1 CS platoon. Small arms are Steyr AUG in SF units, AK47 for Marines , FNC for regular inf , with Minimi SAW and other LMG types . There are enough 81mm mortars for 12 per inf/airborne/Para Bttn, suggest 2 per company CS platoon and 1 battery of 6 at Bttn HQ.

AA platoons appear to be 3 guns each, 4 platoons per company


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