National Defense Forces (TNI) Commander Admiral Yudo Margono has said that the construction of facilities and infrastructure for TNI, especially the Navy, must be balanced with the modernization of the military armament system.

“Every fiscal year, (TNI) always builds military armament system that is for patrol ships, training aircraft, and sea riders for law enforcement patrol equipment throughout the ranks; these will also be fulfilled,” Margono informed while inaugurating 16 facilities and infrastructures built by Navy work units, here on Monday.

According to him, the construction of supporting infrastructure within the Navy is no less important than carrying out the government’s mandate on the modernization of the Navy’s military armament system.

Modernizing the military armament system is part of fulfilling the minimum essential force (MEF) target, he said.

The construction of facilities and infrastructure had been planned since last year and is a form of improving the welfare of Navy mariners and strengthening the Navy defense base.

“I hope that in 2023, we will build facilities and infrastructure in accordance with the 2023 work and budget plan (RKKL), which we compiled for months in 2022,” Margono said.

The TNI Commander also advised all Navy ranks to continue the program of building TNI Navy facilities and infrastructure in the future.

He highlighted the importance of properly managing the budget allocated by the central government for Navy units.

“We also checked the (existing) defense equipment system and the old ones,” he said.

Any outdated military armament system will be replaced so that TNI can calculate the real percentage of proper defense equipment system that will contribute to fulfilling the MEF target in 2024, he added.

If the Navy work units can properly manage the budget to develop the military armament system, facilities, and infrastructure, the MEF implementation target can reach 80 to 85 percent in 2024.

Source: Antara News