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The Kopassus ( id, Komando Pasukan Khusus, Special Forces Command) is an Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) special forces group that conducts
special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
missions for the
Indonesian government The term Government of Indonesia ( id, Pemerintah Indonesia) can have a number of different meanings. At its widest, it can refer collectively to the three traditional branches of government – the executive branch, legislative branch and ju ...
, such as direct action,
unconventional warfare Unconventional warfare (UW) is broadly defined as "military and quasi-military operations other than conventional warfare" and may use covert forces, subversion, or guerrilla warfare. This is typically done to avoid escalation into conventional ...
,
sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. One who engages in sabotage is a ''saboteur''. Saboteurs typically try to conceal their identitie ...
, counter-insurgency,
counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...
,
intelligence gathering This is a list of intelligence gathering disciplines. HUMINT Human intelligence (HUMINT) are gathered from a person in the location in question. Sources can include the following: * Advisors or foreign internal defense (FID) personnel wor ...
and
special reconnaissance Special reconnaissance (SR) or Recon Team is conducted by small units of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units or military intelligence organizations, who operate behind enemy lines, avoiding direct combat and detec ...
(SR). Kopassus was founded by
Alexander Evert Kawilarang Alexander Evert Kawilarang (23 February 1920 – 6 June 2000) was an Indonesian freedom fighter, military commander, and founder of ''Kesko TT'', what would become the Indonesian special forces unit Kopassus. However, in 1958 he resigned his post ...
and
Mochammad Idjon Djanbi Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mochammad Idjon Djanbi (13 May 1914 – 1 April 1977) previously known as Rodes Barendrecht "Rokus" Visser, also spelled as ''Barendregt'', was a Dutch-born Indonesian soldier who served as a Dutch commando during World ...
on 16 April 1952. It gained worldwide attention after several operations such as the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and the release of hostages from
Garuda Indonesia Flight 206 Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206 was a Garuda Indonesia flight that was hijacked on 28 March 1981, by the Komando Jihad in Indonesia. The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 plane PK-GNJ was hijacked on a domestic flight and forced to land at Don Muean ...
. The special forces spearheaded some of the government's military campaigns: putting down regional rebellions in the late 1950s, the
Operation Trikora Operation Trikora was an Indonesian military operation which aimed to seize and annex the Dutch overseas territory of Netherlands New Guinea in 1961 and 1962. After negotiations, the Netherlands signed the New York Agreement with Indonesia on ...
(Western New Guinea campaign) in 1961–1962, the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation from 1962–1966, the massacres of alleged communists in 1965, the East Timor invasion in 1975, and subsequent campaigns against separatists in various provinces. Kopassus has been reported by national and international media,
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
-affiliated
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s and researchers to have committed violations of
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
in
East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-west ...
, Aceh, Papua and
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
. In 2019, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
announced that it would conduct a combined exercise training with Kopassus in 2020. The US had ended links with Kopassus in 1999 as the
Leahy Law The Leahy Laws or Leahy amendments are U.S. human rights laws that prohibit the U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity. It is n ...
banned assistance to foreign military units with a history of human rights violations until those responsible are prosecuted. Kopassus has introduced internal reforms and undertaken human rights courses with the
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
. In 2018,
US Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The ...
Jim Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persia ...
said he wanted to lift the ban as Kopassus had reformed and removed human rights abusive soldiers. In response, Senator
Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy (; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who is the senior United States senator from Vermont and serves as the president pro tempore of the United States Senate. A member of the Democratic Party, ...
said Mattis needs to establish whether Kopassus has punished officers and is today "accountable to the rule of law".
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
criticised plans to lift the ban as Kopassus officers had not been prosecuted.


History

On 15 April 1952,
Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge o ...
Alexander Evert Kawilarang Alexander Evert Kawilarang (23 February 1920 – 6 June 2000) was an Indonesian freedom fighter, military commander, and founder of ''Kesko TT'', what would become the Indonesian special forces unit Kopassus. However, in 1958 he resigned his post ...
began to form , the early name of Kopassus and the basis for this historic special forces unit. Not long after, Colonel Kawilarang with the use of military intelligence located and met with Major Rokus Bernardus Visser—a former member of the
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
Special Forces who had remained in newly independent Indonesia, settled in
West Java West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
, married an Indonesian woman, and was known locally as Mochammad Idjon Djanbi. He was the first recruit for the Indonesian special forces, as well as its first commander. Due to him, the unit which later became ''Kopassus'' wear red berets (color traditionally favored by airborne troops in Europe) instead of the distinctive green beret. At that time, Indonesia's special force name was (3rd Territorial Army Command Commando Unit). was the final result of five name changes: Kesko TT, KKAD (, Army Commando Forces Unit), RPKAD (, Army Para-Commando Regiment), (Army Special Forces Department) and . The first generation of this force was only around a hundred
soldier A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer. Etymology The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
s or one company, headquartered in Bandung. Among its pioneer instructors was a young veteran of the Indonesian National Revolution, future Minister of Defense
Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani General (Ret.) Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani (also publicly known as LB Moerdani or Benny Moerdani and in foreign media as Murdani; 2 October 1932 – 29 August 2004) was the ABRI Commander from 1983 to 1988 and also served as Indonesia's Mi ...
, who later became a battalion commander and later led his paratroopers to crush the two twin rebellions in 1957-58 by the
Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia The Revolutionary Government of the Republic of Indonesia ( id, Pemerintah Revolusioner Republik Indonesia (PRRI)) was a revolutionary government set up in Sumatra to oppose the central government of Indonesia in 1958. Although frequently refer ...
and
Permesta Permesta was a rebel movement in Indonesia, its name based on the Universal Struggle Charter (or ''Piagam Perjuangan Semesta'') that was declared on 2 March 1957 by civil and military leaders in East Indonesia. Initially the center of the movem ...
. As the RPKAD, a name used in the 1960s, and expanded into a three-battalion special forces airborne regiment, the force was involved in the widespread killings during General Suharto's rise to power. An estimated half-a million people were killed in the anti-communist purge with strong communal overtones. The RPKAD was involved in wiping out entire villages such as Kesiman (east of
Denpasar Denpasar (; Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ) is the capital of Bali and the main gateway to the island. The city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands. With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali, Denpasar has e ...
) in Bali, many of them in beach areas which later becomes major tourist resorts. The unit also saw action during the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation when in 1965, Indonesia launched a war for control of North Borneo (
Sabah Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory o ...
/
Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...
) during Malaysian independence, particularly in the Battle of Sungei Koemba In 1981, with Moerdani yet again at the lead, a Kopassandha company was deployed to Bangkok as part of the efforts to rescue
Garuda Indonesia Flight 206 Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206 was a Garuda Indonesia flight that was hijacked on 28 March 1981, by the Komando Jihad in Indonesia. The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 plane PK-GNJ was hijacked on a domestic flight and forced to land at Don Muean ...
from hijackers. In 2017 Kopassus was sent to Afghanistan to guard the Indonesia embassy in
Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
.


Organization

Kopassus organizational structure is different from the infantry units in general. Although Kopassus members generally came from the Infantry Corps, Kopassus created its own structure, which is different from infantry units. Kopassus units intentionally do not use the nomenclature of standard infantry units. This is apparent in their units called Groups. With this unit, Kopassus can deploy a brigade plus size (about 5,000 personnel), or fewer. There are five groups of Kopassus which are: *Special Forces Training and Education Center () - located in Batujajar,
West Java West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
. *Group 1 Para Commandos. Headquarters at Kartasura, Central Java. *Group 2 Para Commandos. Headquarters at Serang, Banten. *Group 4 Sandi Yudha (
Clandestine Clandestine may refer to: * Secrecy, the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups, perhaps while sharing it with other individuals * Clandestine operation, a secret intelligence or military activity Music and entertainme ...
). Headquarters at Cijantung, Jakarta. *SAT-81 Gultor Counter-terrorism Group. Headquarters at Cijantung, Jakarta. Except for Pusdikpassus, which serves as an educational center, other Groups have combat oriented operational functions. Each Group (except Pusdikpassus) is subdivided into battalions.


Group 1 Para Commandos

Group 1 Para Commandos () is a unit of Brigade level which is part of the Army Special Forces Command and was established on 23 March 1963. The group was first commanded by Major L.B. Moerdani. The unit's motto known as ''Dhuaja'' is , then created by Corporal Suyanto. It has a total of 3,274 personnel.''COMMANDO Magazine'', Volume II No. 1 July–August 2005. Jakarta:
Gramedia Toko Buku Gramedia (''Gramedia Bookstore'') is an Indonesian bookstore owned by Kompas Gramedia. Established in 1970, Gramedia Asri Media has contributed to give inspiration through knowledge, endeavor and direct participation to society for mo ...
, 2005.
The unit's internal organization consists of the group headquarters and four battalions which are: #11th Battalion / "Atulo Sena Bhaladhika" #12th Battalion / "Asabha Sena Baladhika" #13th Battalion / "Thikkaviro Sena Bhaladhika" #14th Battalion / "Bhadrika Sena Bhaladhika" Each battalion consists of 3 companies. Each company is broken into 3 platoons, each of which consisted of 39 people. And each platoon consists of 3 small units called a squad of 10 men. The 1st Group, with its 4 battalions, is the largest brigade of the Kopassus.


Group 2 Para Commandos

Group 2 Para Commando () is a unit of Brigade level, which is part of the Special Forces Command of the Army and was established in 1962. The group was first commanded by Major Soegiarto. The unit's motto is and has a total of 1.459 personnel. The unit's internal organization are as follows: #Group HQ #21st Battalion / "Buhpala Yudha" #22nd Battalion / "Manggala Yudha" #23rd Battalion / "Dhanuja Yudha" - located in
Parung Parung (Sundanese:ᮕᮛᮥᮀ) is a town and district in Indonesia that is located in the southwestern suburb of South Jakarta but officially still within the area of the Regency of Bogor. Those who travel from Jakarta to Bogor through the west ...
, Bogor Like "Group 1", "Group 2" has the main tasks and responsibilities for missions such as
Airborne assault Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in ai ...
,
Jungle warfare Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain. It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for bo ...
,
Unconventional Warfare Unconventional warfare (UW) is broadly defined as "military and quasi-military operations other than conventional warfare" and may use covert forces, subversion, or guerrilla warfare. This is typically done to avoid escalation into conventional ...
, Counter-insurgency, Special
Reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
, and Direct Action.


Special Forces Training and Education Center

The Special Forces Training and Education Center () abbreviated "Pusdiklatpassus" is the training and education center for recruits and personnel associated with and becoming to join as Commandos in the Army Special Forces Command (Kopassus). As an educational institution, "Pusdiklatpassus" is divided based on its training function. Supervises nine schools of education and training including: *Para School *Commando School *Sandhi Yudha (Intelligence) School *School of Specialized Warfare *Specialization School *Raider School It provides other specialist courses, which are also open to members of the Army out of Kopassus such as: Hunting Company, Scuba, Rock-climbing, Demolition, Path-Finder and Sniper.


Commando Training

The
Commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...
education and training lasts for approximately seven months (28 weeks) which is divided into three stages. The first phase of the implementation of the education is conducted on the base for 18 weeks, the second stage all participants will be released in the forest and the mountains twice each for 6 weeks, and the next stage of the third stage ends with a 4-week sea-swamp stage. The 97th batch of the Commando Education had first initial participants as many as 251 personnel, who successfully passed through commando education and inaugurated as a special forces commando of 214 personnel. Phases are as shown below: *Phase I (Base training) 10 Weeks with individual ability points in Batujajar. Establish attitudes & personality, fill in technical skills, Command Operation tactics, Individual & basic capabilities of urban battle, Support knowledge, Field managerial, and individual ability test. *Phase II (Forest and Mountain) 6 Weeks with Counter Insurgency emphasis,
Jungle warfare Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain. It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for bo ...
and Raid warfare in Situ Lembang. Stabilization of forest observations, individual abilities in the forest / Basic battle techniques, forest capabilities in group relations, forest HTF, and durability of long march application (LRRP). *Phase III (Swamp and Sea) 4 Weeks with heavy Commando operation tactics, sea battle tactics in
Cilacap Cilacap Regency ( jv, ꦏꦨꦸꦥꦠꦺꦤ꧀ꦕꦶꦭꦕꦥ꧀, also spelt: Chilachap, old spelling: Tjilatjap, Sundanese: ) is a regency () in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Cilacap. ...
and
Nusakambangan Nusa Kambangan (also Nusakambangan, Kambangan island, or Nusa Kambangan Island) island is located in Indonesia, separated by a narrow strait from the south coast of Java; the closest port is Cilacap in Central Java province. It known as the plac ...
. Conservation observation of Sea-swamp, patrol ability, swamp terrain knowledge and Resistance to Interrogation test. "Kopassus" has graduated students from the Commando Education up to 100 batches. In the year 2016 followed by 153 commando students, which consists of ranks of 41 Officers, 101 NCOs, and 11 Enlisted. The command officers who successfully complete the 7-month Command Course well are entitled to wear the qualified commando brevet issued to their clothing/uniform. Aside from Kopassus commandos, the Pusdiklatpassus also trains SF-ready combat personnel of the Army Raider Infantry battalions within the structure of the territorial region commands or KODAMs Army-wide and within
Kostrad The Army Strategic Reserves Command ( id, Komando Cadangan Strategis Angkatan Darat; abbreviated ) is a combined-arms formation of the Indonesian Army. Kostrad is a Corps level command which has up to 35,000 troops. It also supervises operati ...
component units.


Group 3 Combat Intelligence

Group 3 / Sandhi Yudha is a Kopassus unit that has the specification of "
Clandestine operation A clandestine operation is an intelligence or military operation carried out in such a way that the operation goes unnoticed by the general population or specific enemy forces. Until the 1970s, clandestine operations were primarily political in ...
" 'secret warfare', including combat Intel and counter-insurgency. Group 3 was formed on 24 July 1967, headquartered at Cijantung Kopassus Headquarters, East Jakarta. Prospective Personnel in this Group are strictly selected internally ranging from prospective soldiers who are still educated to personnel who have active duty in unity but have an intelligence talent that will then be trained again. The motto of this unit is . The Group is organized as follows: #Group HQ #31st Battalion/Eka Sandhi Yudha Utama #32nd Battalion/Apta Sandhi Prayudha Utama #33rd Battalion/Wira Sandhi Yudha Sakti


Conducted Training

The basic training is the same as other Kopassus soldiers (2.5 months), Command School (7 months) plus other courses such as Jungle Warfare, Close Combat, Special combat school and Climber, but after that the candidates of combat-intelligence is educated more specifically for the education of "Sandhi Yudha" in "Pusdiklatassus" located in Batujajar whose education materials are intelligence and supporting knowledge for intelligence in the field of operation such as disguise, navigation, special martial, Special tools of intelligence and others. Even some selected personnel from this Group are sent abroad to schools of Military Intelligence Education Centers such as in the United States, Germany, Britain and even Israel. Among all types of soldiers in "Kopassus", the most specific form of education and training is the Group 3 / Sandhi Yudha combat intelligence unit.


SAT-81 Gultor Counter-terrorism group

Unit 81 / Counter Terror or abbreviated as Sat-81 / Gultor is a unit in Kopassus which is equivalent to a group level formation and is composed of the best chosen personnel within the whole of the Indonesian Army special forces. The strength of this unit is not publicly publicized on the number of personnel or types of weapons. The Sat 81 Gultor is incorporated in the BNPT Crisis Control Center ("Pusdalsis") which consists of a combination of special units, such as the
Denjaka Denjaka (abbreviation from ''Detasemen Jala Mangkara''; Jala Mangkara Detachment) is a counter-terrorism special operations force of the Indonesian Navy. It is a combined detachment formed from selected personnel of the Navy's frogmen unit ( KOP ...
from the
Indonesian Navy The Indonesian Navy ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut, , Indonesian National Military-Naval Force, TNI-AL) is the naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol ...
, the
Bravo Detachment 90 The Bravo Detachment 90 is a counter-terrorism unit whose personnel are specialists recruited and chosen from the Indonesian Air Force's Kopasgat. It is the youngest special operations unit of the Indonesian Air Force. The unit specialises in t ...
of the
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The I ...
, and the 1st Gegana Command of the
Brimob The Mobile Brigade Corps ( id, Korps Brigade Mobil) abbreviated Brimob is the special operations, paramilitary, and tactical unit of the Indonesian National Police (Polri). It is one of the oldest existing units within Polri. Some of its mai ...
Corps, Indonesian National Police. "Pusdalsis" is organized of a combination of elite units within the Indonesian National Armed Forces and Police which is assigned as a counter-terrorist formation to be sent when the activities of terrorism may be conducted such as aircraft hijacking. The regiment is organized into a group HQ and two Special Forces Battalions: #811th Special Action Battalion / Wega Yogya Gabhira #812th Support Battalion / Wira Drdha Ghabira Recruitment is done by choosing from members which at least have 2 years of active service in the groups of the Kopassus organization, and must complete 6 months of Counter Terrorism Selection and Reinforcement Training before being assigned.


Command Structure


Training

The unit actively conduct training and joint operation with
United States Army Special Forces The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army. The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal mi ...
, SFOD-D,
Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The re ...
,
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
, MOSSAD,
GSG9 , formerly (), is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police ''( Bundespolizei)''. The state police (''Landespolizei'') maintain their own tactical units known as the ''Spezialeinsatzkommando'' (SEK). The identities of GSG 9 members ...
. Kopassus participates in bilateral training exercises with international partners. After resuming military ties in 2003, Australia's special operations unit, the
Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The re ...
, conducts an annual counter terrorism exercise, with Australia and Indonesia taking turns to host the event. In July 2011, Kopassus and Chinese special forces held a joint counter terrorism exercise called Exercise Sharp Knife, held in Bandung,
Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's mos ...
. In July 2012, Exercise Sharp Knife II was held in Jinan, China. In 2015, Kopassus and South Korea
707th Special Mission Battalion The 707th Special Mission Group ( ko, 제707특수임무단, Hanja: 第707特殊任務團) is an elite counter-terrorism unit of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command. History The unit was formed after the Munich massacre, which for ...
held a joint counter terrorism exercise in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
. On 19 February 2018, Kopassus and 9 Para SF held a joint exercise called Garuda Sakti in Cipatat, Bandung. On 7 February 2019, Kopassus and
Special Service Group , colors = Maroon, sky blue , colors_label = Colours , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = , ...
held a joint counter terrorism exercise called Elang Strike in
Pabbi Pabbi ( ps, پببے ; ur, ) is a large town in Pabbi Tehsil of Nowshera District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located on both sides of the Grand Trunk (GT) around 20-km from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
. In May 2019, former Secretary of Defense
Ryamizard Ryacudu General Ryamizard Ryacudu (born 21 April 1950) is an Indonesian politician who served as the Minister of Defense of Indonesia from 2014 until 2019. He previously served as Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army The Chief of Staff of the Indo ...
and United States Acting Secretary of Defense
Patrick M. Shanahan Patrick Michael Shanahan (born June 27, 1962) is a former United States United States federal government, federal government official who served as acting United States Secretary of Defense, U.S. Secretary of Defense in 2019. President of the U ...
announced a joint combined exercise training in 2020. The exercise to be held in Indonesia would focus on
combat medic A combat medic, or healthcare specialist, is responsible for providing emergency medical treatment at a point of wounding in a combat or training environment, as well as primary care and health protection and evacuation from a point of injury ...
training. In February 2020, the
Asia Times ''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kong-based English language news media publishing group, covering politics, economics, business, and culture from an Asian perspective. ''Asia Times'' publishes in English and ...
reported that Kopassus recently took part in a full–on combat training exercise with the United States
1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) The 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) is a division-level special operations forces command within the United States Army Special Operations Command. The command was first established in 1989 and reorganized in 2014 grouping together the A ...
at Fort Bragg,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, and that it was the first combat training exercise with the US since a 15-year military embargo was lifted in 2005. In November 2021, the
1st Scout Ranger Regiment The Scout Rangers, known officially as the First Scout Ranger Regiment,https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2011/11/26/751758/scout-rangers-legend-continues is a Philippine Army unit specializing in anti-guerrilla jungle warfare, raids, ambushes, ...
have conducted joint training with Kopassus operators.


Uniform and Attributes


Brief History of Kopassus Attributes

The Kopassus (then RPKAD) red beret was first used in 1954-1968 and was designed by Lieutenant Dodo Sukamto. It was first used during a ceremony on 5 October 1954. This emblem consists of a bayonet, anchors representing abilities in the sea and wings as high mobility. The beret emblem used in 1968 until now with slight changes from the initial design, the bayonet is more slender than the Commando knife and the wingspan is more wing coat like the Wing of the Army designs. The iconic Kopassus Camouflage pattern called ''Loreng Darah Mengalir'' (Flowing Blood pattern), introduced in 1964 pattern was originally intended to be a copy of the WW2 era British Denison brushstroke camouflage for issue to the RPKAD. However, an error at the original manufacturing plant resulted in the vertical, vine-like stripes that characterize this unique pattern. The original version illustrated, with some variation in color and type of fabric, saw service between 1964 and 1986 (at which time the entire Armed Forces were outfitted in a copy of British DPM). The second pattern shown was revived for issue to Kopassus in 1995 but in a slightly varied design, worn for ceremonial & training purposes only. For other purpose regular TNI patern ( DPM) was used instead.


Commando Brevet

The Commando qualification brevet used since 1966 until now was designed by Major Djajadiningrat. This brevet is used by all graduates of Commando training and Education from Batujajar. Colonel Sarwo Edhie Wibowo used the new Commando Brevet qualification to show the public of the Corps' new appearance on 4 January 1966 during a Army-organized open house event at the grounds of the
Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex Bung Karno Sports Arena ( id, Kompleks Gelanggang Olahraga Bung Karno, known as Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex), formerly named Senayan Sports Arena ( id, Gelanggang Olahraga Senayan) from 1969 to 2001 and Asian Games Complex ( id, Kompleks Asi ...
, which, among others, featured a mass jump of Kopassus parachute commandos and operators in front of watching crowds.


Paratrooper Badges


Jump Master Wings

Jump Master Wings are issued to commandos of Kopassus who have graduated from advanced paratrooper jump master courses conducted by the Commando training and educational center.


Free Fall Wing

The Kopassus (RPKAD) military freefall wing insignia, designed by HH.Djajadiningrat and first issued in 1962 depicts a free fall paratrooper hanging under a circle consisting of small parachutes. Stated by the first free fall instructors of the Yugoslavia: Mladen Milicetic, Stoyan Jovic and Dobel Stanej in Bandung during the first free fall graduation ceremony of Kopassus (RPKAD) on 26 October 1962.


Issues


Human rights accusations

Kopassus has been accused by
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s, Western politicians, and researchers of
human rights Human rights are moral principles or normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for certain standards of hu ...
violations. Amnesty International and Indonesian human rights groups including the official
National Commission on Human Rights The National Commission on Human Rights ( id, Komisi Nasional Hak Asasi Manusia, usually abbreviated as Komnas HAM) is the national human rights institution (NHRI) of Indonesia. As with other NHRIs, its principal functions are the protection and pr ...
(Komnas HAM) have cited abuses by members of Kopassus. Kopassus has also been associated with illegal economic activities, like involvement in the trade of
Agarwood Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood or gharuwood is a fragrant dark resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small carvings. This resinous wood is most commonly referred to as "Oud" or "Oudh". It is formed in the heartwood of aquilaria trees wh ...
and illegal gold mining in West Papua and other areas, and the trade in drugs. In 1975, five Australian journalists, known as the
Balibo Five The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian commercial television networks who were murdered in the period leading up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The Balibo Five were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor (then ...
, were killed by members of Kopassus in the town of
Balibo Balibo is a town in East Timor situated approximately from the Indonesian border. It is located in the subdistrict of Balibo, Bobonaro District. It was estimated by Human Rights Watch that 70 per cent of the town was destroyed during t ...
during the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The Indonesian military has always maintained that the men were killed in a cross-fire during the battle for the town.
Arnold Ap Arnold Clemens Ap (born July 1, 1946, in Numfor Island, Netherlands New Guinea  – died April 26, 1984, in Jayapura, Irian Jaya, Indonesia) was a West Papuan cultural leader, anthropologist and musician. Arnold was the leader of the group ...
was a West Papuan cultural leader, anthropologist and musician. Arnold was the leader of the group Mambesak, and Curator of the
Cenderawasih University Cenderawasih University ( id, Universitas Cenderawasih) is a university in Jayapura, Papua province, Indonesia. The university is the leading educational institution in the province. The university has faculties in economics, law, teacher trai ...
Museum. In November 1983, he was arrested by Kopassus and imprisoned and tortured for suspected sympathies with the
Free Papua Movement "Free Papua Movement" ( id, Organisasi Papua Merdeka, OPM, tpi, Fri Wes Papua Grup) is an umbrella term for the independence movement established during 1965 in the West Papuan or West New Guinea territory which is currently being administrat ...
, although no charges were laid. In April 1984, he was killed by a gunshot to his back. Official accounts claim he was trying to escape. Many supporters believe Ap was executed by Kopassus. Another musician, Eddie Mofu, was also killed. Between 1997 and 1998, Kopassus members from Tim Mawar (Rose Team) were responsible for pro-democracy activists kidnappings of at least 22 people mainly in Jakarta. Nine activists were released and 13 remain missing. In 1999, 11 members of Tim Mawar were found guilty by a military court. However, they appealed the verdict to the Supreme Court, which was not made public and only revealed in 2007, and were never jailed and all but one remained in the military. In September 2020, Defence Minister
Prabowo Subianto Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former army lieutenant general who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia. He is the son of Sumitro Djojoh ...
appointed two of the Tim Mawar officers, two serving
Brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
s, to senior positions in the
Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...
following approval by President Joko Widodo. Amnesty International criticised the appointments as the President and the DPR had promised to investigate missing activist cases and instead placed suspects in positions of power. The United Nations ''Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on
East Timor East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-west ...
'' found there was evidence that Kopassus in 1999 engaged militias to conduct intimidation and terror tasks in order to influence the outcome of the
independence referendum An independence referendum is a type of referendum in which the residents of a territory decide whether the territory should become an independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independence does not alwa ...
. In 2001, four Kopassus members were convicted of the strangulation of
Theys Eluay Dortheys Hiyo Eluay (known as Theys Hiyo Eluay; 3 November 1937 – 10 November 2001) was an Indonesian local politician from Irian Jaya (currently Papua) turned West Papuan independence activist. Known as the former leader of Papua Presidium ...
, the former chairman of the
Papua Presidium Council The Papua Presidium Council ( id, Presidium Dewan Papua) was a 31-member umbrella group that was established to represent Indonesia's West Papua voice for the region's more autonomy within Indonesia and not necessarily independence. It is not onl ...
. They were part of a group which had killed Theys after ambushing him and his driver. The group's leader, Lt-Col Hatono, and another soldier received prison sentences of three and a half years while two others received three years. A further two officers had their charges dismissed. The men were all Kopassus members from Group V (Jakarta) and were not based in Jayapura or West Papua. They faced a court-martial, which found them not guilty on the more serious charges of premeditated murder, because the Kopassus are legally exempt from the
jurisdiction Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels. J ...
of civil law. Indonesian Army Chief, General Ryamizard Ryacudu (2002–05), accepted the men had to be prosecuted "because Indonesia is a State based on law" but he affirmed their defence's view that they were heroes who had killed a rebel leader. In 2002, Kopassus is accused of killing three teachers (two of whom were American and one Indonesian) and wounding 12 others in an ambush in August near the Freeport mine. For this, the US Congress extended its existing ban on contact with the Indonesian military. There is also suspicion that the attack was aimed at blackmailing mine owners into paying protection money. From 2000 to 2002,
Freeport-McMoRan Freeport-McMoRan Inc., often called Freeport, is an American mining company based in the Freeport-McMoRan Center, in Phoenix, Arizona. The company is the world's largest producer of molybdenum, is a major copper producer and operates the world's ...
paid the TNI $10.7 million in protection money, but the company shut down the payments shortly before the ambush. In 2003, Laskar Jihad fighters have been trained by KopassusDamien Kingsbury,
We must not get back in bed with Kopassus
', in:
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...
, August 14, 2003
in a training camp near Bogor in
West Java West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
.Damien Kingsbury/Clinton Fernandes (2008), ''Indonesia'', in: Clinton Fernandes (ed.), ''Hot spot: Asia and Oceania''. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, p. 109 Laskar Jihad members even received military escorts while travelling from West Java to Surabaya.Carlyle A. Thayer (2008), ''Radical Islam and Political Terrorism in Southeast Asia'', in: Terence Chong (ed.), ''Globalization and Its Counter-Forces in Southeast Asia''. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, p. 264 The behaviour of the military in Maluku was similarly biased. Although at first a newly created military unit, the ''Joint Battalion'', took action against Laskar Jihad in Maluku, it was replaced in mid-2001 by Kopassus, which was more sympathetic towards the militia. Some international partners have severed military ties with Kopassus in response to allegations of human rights abuses. For example, Australia ceased training with Kopassus in September 1999 in relation to Kopassus' role in violence in East Timor. In early 2006, Australia resumed training exercises with Unit 81 focused on "skills required to conduct counter-hijack and hostage recovery operations" having earlier re-newed links in 2003 with the last similar exercise held in 1997. The United States re-newed links with Kopassus in 2010 after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono advised the Obama administration it was the "litmus test of the bilateral relationship" after intense lobbying over four years to lift the 1999 ban. Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates Robert Michael Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American intelligence analyst and university president who served as the 22nd United States secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He was originally appointed by president George W. Bush a ...
said it would be a limited program of cooperation "within the limits of U.S. law" that could be expanded dependent upon continued implementation of human-rights reform including suspending members of the military accused of human-rights abuses, discharging members convicted of abuses and prosecuting members who have violated human-rights. In response, thirteen
US Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...
members wrote to the Secretary of State and the Defense Secretary that they had serious concerns.


Criminal conduct

In 1996 a member of Kopassus known as Sanurip suffering from depression went on a rampage and killed 16 (11 military and 5 civilians) and injured 11 others. He was later sentenced to death. In March 2013, twelve Kopassus members wearing ski masks and armed with
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...
rifles raided the Cebongan Prison near
Yogyakarta Yogyakarta (; jv, ꦔꦪꦺꦴꦒꦾꦏꦂꦠ ; pey, Jogjakarta) is the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta in Indonesia, in the south-central part of the island of Java. As the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy, ...
which housed four prisoners charged with murdering their superior officer three days earlier in a nightclub brawl. The members threatened and beat 12 prisons guards and a member fatally shot the four prisoners. The member who shot the four was found guilty of murder in a military court and sentenced to eleven years and two other members who supplied the weapons and stood next to him as he shot received six and eight years sentences. Three of the twelve members tried and sentenced in the military court were dishonorably discharged. In September 2015, the Army Chief of Staff General Mulyono at a ceremony at the Kopassus headquarters, stated that "There are still soldiers from the Indonesian Army who taint the name of their force and the Army with their arrogant and selfish attitudes … by engaging in misdeeds or even acting against the law". Kopassus members had months earlier been involved in two incidents: * June 2015: Kopassus members were involved in a brawl with
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), literally "''Indonesian National Military-Air Force''") sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF, is the aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The I ...
members at a karaoke parlour in Sukoharjo, resulting in the death of an Air Force member. Five Kopassus members were tried for violence resulting in death in November 2015. * July 2015: A Kopassus member was arrested for his suspected involvement in the kidnapping of a Malaysian businessman.


Equipment


Small arms

* Accuracy International AW *
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...
*
Benelli M3 The Benelli M3 is a dual-mode (hybrid pump-action and semi-automatic) shotgun designed and manufactured by Italian firearms manufacturer Benelli Armi SpA, and one of the "Benelli Super 90" series of semi-auto shotguns. The M3 holds a maximum of ...
T * Beretta 92SB /
Beretta 92F The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers c ...
* Browning Hi-Power *
Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle The Carl Gustaf 8.4 cm recoilless rifle (, named after ''Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori'' which initially produced it) is a Swedish developed caliber man-portable shoulder-fired recoilless rifle, initially developed by the Royal Swedis ...
*
Colt 1911 The M1911 (Colt 1911 or Colt Government) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The pistol's formal U.S. military designation as of 1940 was ''Automatic Pistol, Caliber .45, M1911'' for th ...
* Colt M16A2 *
Colt M4 The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, Gas-operated reloading, gas-operated, Magazine (firearms), magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M1 ...
* FN Herstal Five-Seven * FN Herstal
MAG Mag, MAG or mags may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''MAG'' (video game), 2010 * ''Mag'' (Slovenian magazine), 1995–2010 * '' The Mag'', a British music magazine Businesses and organisations * MacKenzie Art Gallery, in Regina, Sask ...
* FN Herstal Minimi * FN Herstal P90 *
Franchi SPAS-12 The Franchi SPAS-12 is a combat shotgun manufactured by Italian firearms company Franchi from 1979 to 2000. The SPAS-12 is a dual-mode shotgun, adjustable for semi-automatic or pump-action operation. The SPAS-12 was sold to military and police ...
*
Glock 19 Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...
*
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
G3 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
G36 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
HK53 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
Mk23 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...
*
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
HK 416 Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta ...
*
Pindad SS1 The SS1 (short for , ) is the standard assault rifle of the Indonesian armed forces and Indonesian National Police. It is based on the FN FNC rifle but modified in order to meet ergonomic and tropical environment needs. The assault rifles are g ...
*
Pindad SS2 The SS2 (short for , ) is a replacement for the Pindad SS1 created by PT Pindad. It had been seen during the ASEAN Army Rifles contest by foreign media in 2006 aside from exposure by local Indonesian media. The SS2 assault rifles are currently ...
* Pindad SS2-V5C * QBZ-95 *
Remington 700 The Remington Model 700 is a series of bolt-action centerfire rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. It is a development of the Remington 721 and 722 series of rifles, which were introduced in 1948. The M24 and M40 military sniper ...
* SIG Sauer P226/P228 * SIG Sauer
SG 552 The SG 550 is an assault rifle manufactured by Swiss Arms AG (formerly a division of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft, now known as SIG Holding AG) in Switzerland. "SG" is an abbreviation for ''Sturmgewehr'' ("assault rifle"). The rifle ...
* SIG Sauer SG 550 Sniper * Steyr AUG *
Uzi The Uzi (; he, עוזי, Ūzi; officially cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of the ...
*
Škorpion vz. 61 The Škorpion vz. 61 (or Sa vz. 61 Skorpion) is a Czechoslovak machine pistol developed in 1959 by Miroslav Rybář (1924–1970) and produced under the official designation Samopal vzor 61 ("submachine gun model 1961") by the Česká zbrojovk ...
*
Walther PPK The Walther PP (german: Polizeipistole, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. It features an exposed hammer, a traditional double-a ...
* Kriss S.V * Custom made
Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife The Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife is a double-edged fighting knife resembling a dagger or poignard with a foil grip. It was developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in Shanghai based on ideas that the two men had while se ...
*
Ultimax 100 The Ultimax 100 is a Singapore-made 5.56mm light machine gun, developed by the Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS, now ST Kinetics) by a team of engineers under the guidance of American firearms designer L. James Sullivan. The weapon is extr ...


Fighting vehicles

* Casspir MK3 *
Pindad Komodo The Komodo is a 4x4 light armored car developed and produced by Pindad. The vehicle was developed after Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a visit to Pindad's main office and asked them to create an indigenous tactical vehicl ...
* Bushmaster *
Land Rover Defender The Land Rover Defender (initially introduced as the Land Rover 110 / One Ten, and in 1984 joined by the Land Rover 90 / Ninety, plus the new, extra-length Land Rover 127 in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup ...
* Jankel Al-Thalab *
P6 ATAV P6 ATAV is an Indonesian Light Attack Vehicle, manufactured by PT Sentra Surya Ekayaja (SSE Defence). It made first public appearance in Indo Defence 2016. It is classified as ''rantis'' (''kendaraan'' ''taktis'' — tactical vehicle) by Indones ...
* Mamba APC *
First Win First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
* OKA 4wd *
Light Strike Vehicle (Singapore) The Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) is a light fast attack vehicle used by the Singapore Army. In 2013, the Singapore designed and made Light Strike Vehicle Mark II (LSV MK.II) entered service to replace the ageing Singapore and Australian made Light St ...
*
Bandvagn 206 Bandvagn 206 (Bv 206) (meaning ''"Tracked Vehicle 206"'' in English) is a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier developed by Hägglunds (now part of BAE Systems Platforms & Services) for the Swedish Army. It consists of two units, with all f ...
* SSE P1 PAKCI


Notable members

*
Alexander Evert Kawilarang Alexander Evert Kawilarang (23 February 1920 – 6 June 2000) was an Indonesian freedom fighter, military commander, and founder of ''Kesko TT'', what would become the Indonesian special forces unit Kopassus. However, in 1958 he resigned his post ...
- Founding father of Kopassus *
Mochammad Idjon Djanbi Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Mochammad Idjon Djanbi (13 May 1914 – 1 April 1977) previously known as Rodes Barendrecht "Rokus" Visser, also spelled as ''Barendregt'', was a Dutch-born Indonesian soldier who served as a Dutch commando during World ...
- 1st Kopassus Commander *
Feisal Tanjung General Feisal Edno Tanjung (17 June 1939 – 18 February 2013), known as Feisal Tanjung, was an Indonesian Army general who was ABRI Commander (from 21 May 1993 to 12 February 1998) and also served as Coordinating Minister for Politics and Secur ...
- Former
Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces The Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces ( id, Panglima Tentara Nasional Indonesia, known as Panglima TNI) is the professional head and highest-ranking officer of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Directly answerable to the pres ...
and Former Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs. *
Sarwo Edhie Wibowo Lieutenant General (Ret.) Sarwo Edhie Wibowo (25 July 1925 – 9 November 1989) was an Indonesian military leader and the father of Kristiani Herrawati, the former first lady of Indonesia and the wife of president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a ...
- 5th Kopassus Commander * LB Moerdani - Former
Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces The Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces ( id, Panglima Tentara Nasional Indonesia, known as Panglima TNI) is the professional head and highest-ranking officer of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Directly answerable to the pres ...
and former Minister of Defence. * Mung Parhadi Mulyo ( id) - 4th Kopassus Commander *
Yogie SM Yogesh 'Yogie' Krishna Chandra Maganti (born 6 September 1973) is an Indian director who works in Telugu film industry. He is associated with successful directors Ram Gopal Varma and E. Nivas. Yogie was born in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh. He directed' ...
( id) - Former
Minister of Home Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
and Governor of
West Java West Java ( id, Jawa Barat, su, ᮏᮝ ᮊᮥᮜᮧᮔ᮪, romanized ''Jawa Kulon'') is a province of Indonesia on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten ...
*
Wismoyo Arismunandar Wismoyo Arismunandar (10 February 1940 – 28 January 2021) was an Indonesian high-ranking Army officer who served as Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army, Army Chief of Staff from 1993 to 1995 and Commander of Army Strategic Command (Indonesia), ...
( id) - Former Chief of Staff of the Army * Agum Gumelar - Politician, former
Minister of Transportation A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ag ...
, former
Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
and former Head of
Football Association of Indonesia The Football Association of Indonesia ( id, Persatuan Sepakbola Seluruh Indonesia; 'All-Indonesian Football Association'; abbreviated as PSSI) is the governing body of football in Indonesia. It was founded on 19 April 1930, fifteen years before ...
*
Prabowo Subianto Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and former army lieutenant general who is the currently-appointed Minister of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia. He is the son of Sumitro Djojoh ...
- Politician, minister of Defense in Joko Widodo's government since 2019 *
Sutiyoso Sutiyoso (born 6 December 1944) is an Indonesian politician and former general who was the Director of the State Intelligence Agency from 8 July 2015 - 9 September 2016. Known informally as 'Bang Yos', he was the governor of Jakarta, the country ...
- Politician, former
Governor of Jakarta The Jakarta Special Capital Region is administratively equal to a province with special status as the capital of Indonesia. Instead of a mayor, the executive head of Jakarta is a governor. The governor of Jakarta is an elected politician who, alon ...
and head of
Indonesian State Intelligence Agency Badan Intelijen Negara ("State Intelligence Agency"), commonly referred to as BIN, is Indonesia's primary intelligence agency. Prior to 2001, it was known as Bakin (''Badan Koordinasi Intelijen Negara'', "State Intelligence Coordinating Agen ...
*
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (EYD: ''Luhut Binsar Panjaitan'', born 28 September 1947) is an Indonesian politician, businessman and retired four-star Army general, serving as Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment since October 2 ...
- Politician, coordinating minister of maritime affairs in Joko Widodo's government since 2016 *
Muchdi Purwopranjono Muchdi Purwopranjono (born 15 April 1949) is an Indonesian politician and former major general who served briefly as chief of the Indonesian Army's Special forces of Indonesia, Special Forces (Kopassus) and was former deputy head of the Indonesian ...
a politician and former major general. *
Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono General (Ret.) Abdullah Mahmud Hendropriyono ( ; born 7 May 1945) is a retired honorary general from Kopassus, the Indonesian Army special forces group. Hendropriyono was the first head of Indonesia's Indonesian State Intelligence Agency, State I ...
a former general and the first head of
Indonesian State Intelligence Agency Badan Intelijen Negara ("State Intelligence Agency"), commonly referred to as BIN, is Indonesia's primary intelligence agency. Prior to 2001, it was known as Bakin (''Badan Koordinasi Intelijen Negara'', "State Intelligence Coordinating Agen ...
(BIN), and was general chairman of the
Indonesian Justice and Unity Party The Justice and Unity Party ( id, Partai Keadilan dan Persatuan, abbreviated as PKP) formerly known as Indonesian Justice and Unity Party ( id, Partai Keadilan dan Persatuan Indonesia, abbreviated as PKPI) is a political party in Indonesia. The ...
(PKPI). *Hartomo ( id) former major general and the former head of Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) *
Hinsa Siburian Lieutenant General (Ret.) Hinsa Siburian (born 28 October 1959) is an Indonesian government official and former military officer. He served as Chief of National Cyber And Crypto Agency, National Cyber and Crypto Agency (Indonesian: ''Badan Siber d ...
served as Chief of
National Cyber and Crypto Agency National Cyber and Crypto Agency ( id, Badan Siber dan Sandi Negara, , State Cyber and Signal Agency, abbreviated as BSSN), is Indonesia's primary signal intelligence agency, as well cyber intelligence, cyber threat intelligence, cyber defens ...
(Indonesian: Badan Siber dan Sandi Negara, BSSN)


In popular culture

* Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI, A 1984 Indonesian docudrama written and directed by
Arifin C. Noer Arifin Chairin Noer (10 March 1941 – 28 May 1995) was an Indonesian poet, theater director and film producer. Biography He studied Civil Administration at in Yogyakarta, Central Java and began his theatrical career in the early 1960s as ...
, produced by G. Dwipayana, and starring Amoroso Katamsi,
Umar Kayam Umar Kayam (30 April 1932 – 16 March 2002) was an Indonesian sociologist and writer. Biography He began his education at the Hollandsch-Inlandsche School (HIS) in Surakarta, where his father also taught. He continued his education at a MULO ...
, and Syubah Asa. The film was based on an official history of the 30 September Movement (, or G30S) coup in 1965 written by
Nugroho Notosusanto Brigadier General Raden Panji Nugroho Notosusanto (15 July 1930 – 3 June 1985) was an Indonesian short story writer turned military historian who served as professor of history at the University of Indonesia. Born to a noble family in Cent ...
and
Ismail Saleh Lieutenant General Ismail Saleh (7 November 1926 – 21 October 2008) was Prosecutor General and later Minister of Justice of Indonesia. Biography Saleh was born in Pati, Central Java on 7 November 1926. He graduated from a school for nativ ...
, which depicted the coup as being orchestrated by the Communist Party of Indonesia (, or PKI). *Merah Putih Memanggil, A 2017 Indonesian movie directed by Mirwan Suwarso and starring Maruli Tumpubolon. The film depicted hostage rescue situation. *Patriot, mini-series in Net TV in 2016 starring Rizky Hanggono about a group commando liberation village. *
Balibo Balibo is a town in East Timor situated approximately from the Indonesian border. It is located in the subdistrict of Balibo, Bobonaro District. It was estimated by Human Rights Watch that 70 per cent of the town was destroyed during t ...
, an Australian film dedicated to Roger East and
Balibo Five The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian commercial television networks who were murdered in the period leading up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The Balibo Five were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor (then ...
shows this unit as the ones murdering the Five and executing Roger East.


See also

* Kopaska *
Kopasgat The Kopasgat ( id, Komando Pasukan Gerak Cepat, Quick Reaction Forces Command) is the air force infantry and special forces corps of the Indonesian Air Force. The corps is also known as the Orange Berets ( in Indonesian) from the colour of the ...
* Garda Muda Penegak Integrasi, an Indonesian paramilitary group


Notes


References


Further reading

* * *


External links


Kopassus official website
*









* ttp://www.etan.org/news/2008/04brikop.htm Background on Kopassus and Brimob
Indonesian Forces Tapped by Obama for Renewed US Aid Implicated in New Assassinations
- video report by ''
Democracy Now! ''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long American TV, radio, and Internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live each weekday at ...
''
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{{Military of Indonesia Army units and formations of Indonesia Counterterrorist organizations Special forces of Indonesia Military units and formations established in 1952 Airborne units and formations Special forces Indonesian Army