The army is moving into Indonesia's civilian government

Under President Prabowo Subianto, the Indonesian military is taking on more and more civilian work, from farming to building bridges. Writing for Indonesia at Melbourne, analyst Jefferson Ng shows how large this has become. The army has set up about 30 "development brigades" and 155 "development battalions," each with around 1,000 soldiers and special units for agriculture, animal raising, healthcare, and construction. Another 150 battalions are planned for 2026, with the long-term goal of one battalion in every one of Indonesia's more than 500 regencies and cities.

The work is real and visible. The military built more than 300 bridges in 2026 and led the rebuilding after floods in Sumatra. Ng points to three reasons behind the push: a defence idea about keeping supplies ready across Indonesia's many islands, law-and-order jobs such as fighting illegal logging, and delivering Prabowo's civilian programs like the free-meals plan. The president has also publicly scolded "disobedient bureaucrats" who act, in his words, as if they are above the law.

What makes this new, the article argues, is its shape. This is not the army taking over the state, and it is not the old "dwifungsi" doctrine of the Suharto era, when the military held a formal political role. Instead it is a strong military woven into everyday government while staying personally loyal to the president. That gives Prabowo a fast, obedient tool, but it also shifts power away from civilian officials.

Why it matters

For citizens, this changes who shows up to run local projects and services, and it blurs the line between soldiers and civil servants that Indonesia rebuilt after 1998. It can mean quicker roads and bridges, but also less civilian control over how decisions are made. Watch whether these army units stay under clear civilian rules, or start to shape local life on their own terms.