Prabowo Orders More TNI Medical Battalions, Puts A400M to Work for Humanitarian Missions

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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id - President Prabowo Subianto orders Indonesia’s armed forces to add medical battalions and prepares the new Airbus A400M transport aircraft for humanitarian operations at home and abroad on Monday, Nov 3, 2025 at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in Jakarta, aiming to strengthen evacuation capacity and disaster response across the archipelago.

The Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI) received the first A400M assigned to the Air Force (TNI AU) after a three day ferry flight from Seville via Dubai and Medan. Prabowo said the aircraft will be configured with an air ambulance module and equipment to fight forest and land fires, and he instructed the TNI to raise additional health battalions to support relief missions. He stressed that the aircraft’s multirole configuration, including medical evacuation, cargo delivery, and aerial refueling, will enhance operational reach for disaster response.

“This can be involved for humanitarian missions. This can also be an air tanker,” Prabowo said after handing the aircraft keys to Commander of the TNI General Agus Subiyanto. He added that while the A400M can carry logistics, it would be most impactful in evacuating the wounded and those requiring operations. “I order that we immediately procure the air ambulance module for the A400. And I have instructed that it be equipped with tools to face forest and land fires,” he said.

Prabowo underlined the central role of the TNI in emergencies and public needs, noting Indonesia’s vast geography and the urgency of rapid air mobility. He said the military’s modernization aims to make it more effective, not only to guard national territory but also to secure and support development. “All TNI now we build to be more effective, not only guarding the territory but also securing and supporting national development,” he said.

The President framed Indonesia’s humanitarian posture as a continuation of solidarity shown by other nations during past disasters. He recalled the international assistance that arrived after the 2004 Aceh tsunami and the 2018 Palu earthquake and tsunami.

He said Indonesia reciprocated by sending Hercules aircraft and preparing ships during the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, and that an Indonesian medical team has continued working in Gaza alongside partners from the United Arab Emirates.

The aircraft’s arrival drew a formal welcome at Halim Perdanakusuma, where it will be based with Squadron 31. Senior officials joined the handover and inspection, including Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Commander of the TNI General Agus Subiyanto, Air Force Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal M Tonny Harjono, British Ambassador Dominic Jermey, and Airbus Defence and Space executive Karl-Heinz Grossman. Prabowo symbolically handed a key to the TNI Commander, who passed it on to the Air Force Chief of Staff after a traditional water salute marked the aircraft’s entry into service.

The A400M represented a new class of airlifter for Indonesia, bridging tactical and strategic airlift capacity. The Ministry of Defense signed the initial procurement at the Dubai Airshow 2021, effective in 2022, in a multirole tanker and transport configuration with a support and training package. The agreement included a letter of intent for up to four additional aircraft, signaling a medium term plan to scale the capability.

In technical terms, the A400M combined payload, range, and short or rough field performance suited to Indonesia’s dispersed island geography. It could carry up to 37 tons, including helicopters, vehicles, and boxed relief cargo, and in a typical 30 ton load it could cover thousands of nautical miles sufficient to reach remote provinces from the capital. Designed to perform medical evacuation with dedicated equipment, it accommodated dozens of stretchers and a medical team, and it could operate from austere airstrips where disaster relief is often most needed.

Operationally, the aircraft will complement existing airlifters. Prabowo noted that the Air Force’s Hercules fleet already used containerized air ambulance modules, and extending that concept to the A400M would expand the scale and speed of aeromedical evacuation. He positioned this as part of a broader agenda to equip the armed forces for dual use missions, supporting national resilience during emergencies while meeting defense requirements.

The President reiterated that the humanitarian role would not stop at national borders. He said the newly configured fleet would allow Indonesia to answer calls for help when major crises strike other countries. “If there is a humanitarian event anywhere, we can also be present,” he said, pointing to the standing team in Gaza and recent deployments to Turkey as examples of Indonesia’s readiness to assist.

As the first A400M settles into operations at Halim, the Air Force will work through mission specific configurations, pilot and crew training, and integration with medical and disaster agencies. The government expects the asset to multiply the Air Force’s effectiveness in both peacetime and crisis, enabling faster evacuations, more reliable logistics, and better coverage across a nation of thousands of islands where hours can decide outcomes in mass casualty events.