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The Kopassus (, Special Forces Command) is an
Indonesian Army The Indonesian Army ( (TNI-AD), ) is the army, land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,400 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its roots in 1945 when the (TKR) "People's Se ...
(TNI-AD)
special forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
group that conducts
special operations Special operations or special ops 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 ma ...
missions for the Indonesian government, such as
direct action Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...
,
unconventional warfare Unconventional warfare (UW) is broadly defined as "military and quasi-military operations other than conventional warfare" and may use covert forces or actions such as subversion, diversion, sabotage, espionage, biowarfare, sanctions, propaga ...
,
sabotage Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening a polity, government, effort, or organization through subversion, obstruction, demoralization (warfare), demoralization, destabilization, divide and rule, division, social disruption, disrupti ...
,
counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...
,
counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...
,
intelligence gathering Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or Confidentiality, confidential information (Intelligence (information), intelligence). A person who commits espionage on ...
and
special reconnaissance Special reconnaissance (SR) is conducted by small units, such as a recon team, made up of highly trained military personnel, usually from special forces units and/or military intelligence organizations. Special reconnaissance teams operate behind ...
(SR). Kopassus was founded by Alexander Evert Kawilarang and Mochammad Idjon Djanbi on 16 April 1952. It gained worldwide attention after several operations such as the
Indonesian invasion of East Timor The Indonesian invasion of East Timor, known in Indonesia as Operation Lotus (), began on 7 December 1975 when the Indonesian military (ABRI/TNI) invaded East Timor under the pretext of anti-colonialism and anti-communism to overthrow the Fre ...
and the release of hostages from Garuda Indonesia Flight 206. The special forces spearheaded some of the government's military campaigns: putting down regional rebellions in the late 1950s,
Operation Trikora Operation Trikora () was a combined Soviet– Indonesian military operation which aimed to seize and annex the Dutch overseas territory of New Guinea in 1961 and 1962. After negotiations, the Netherlands signed the New York Agreement with Ind ...
(Western New Guinea campaign) in 1961–1962, the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation from 1962 to 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 universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
-affiliated
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
s and researchers to have committed violations of
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
in
East Timor Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
,
Aceh Aceh ( , ; , Jawi script, Jawoë: ; Van Ophuijsen Spelling System, Old Spelling: ''Atjeh'') is the westernmost Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia. It is located on the northern end of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capit ...
, Papua and
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. In 2019, the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
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 na ...
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) is a humanitarian organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, and is a three-time Nobel Prize laureate. The organization has played an instrumental role in the development of rules of war and ...
. In 2018,
US Secretary of Defense The United States secretary of defense (acronym: SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense (DoD), the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high-ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclos ...
Jim Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is an American military officer who served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. A retired United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps four-star General (United States), gene ...
said he wanted to lift the ban as Kopassus had reformed and removed human rights abusive soldiers. In response,
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
Patrick Leahy Patrick Joseph Leahy ( ; born March 31, 1940) is an American politician and attorney who represented Vermont in the United States Senate from 1975 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he also was the pr ...
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 that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
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 (armed forces), 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 colon ...
Alexander Evert Kawilarang 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 Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
Rokus Bernardus Visser—a former member of the
Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...
Special Forces who had remained in newly independent Indonesia, settled in
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
, 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 Conscription, conscripted or volunteer Enlisted rank, enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, a warrant officer, or an Officer (armed forces), officer. Etymology The wo ...
s or one
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...
, headquartered in
Bandung Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...
. Among its pioneer instructors was a young veteran of the Indonesian National Revolution, future Minister of Defense
Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani General officer, General (Ret.) Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani (also publicly known as L. B. Moerdani or Benny Moerdani and in foreign media as Murdani; 2 October 1932 – 29 August 2004) was the Indonesian National Armed Forces, ABRI Commander from ...
, 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 (, PRRI) was a revolutionary government set up in Sumatra to oppose the central government of Indonesia in 1958. Although frequently referred to as the PRRI/Permesta rebellion, the Perm ...
and
Permesta Permesta was a rebel movement in Indonesia that was declared on 2 March 1957 by civil and military leaders in Eastern Indonesia. Initially the center of the movement was in Makassar, which at that time was the capital of the province of Sulawe ...
. 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 Suharto (8 June 1921 – 27 January 2008) was an Indonesian Officer (armed forces), military officer and politician, and dictator, who was the second and longest serving president of Indonesia, serving from 1967 to 1998. His 32 years rule, cha ...
'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 script, Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ, ''Dénpasar'') is the capital city of the province of Bali, Indonesia. Denpasar is the largest city in the Lesser Sunda Islands and the second largest city in Eastern Indonesia after ...
) 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 States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
/
Sarawak Sarawak ( , ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. It is the largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is located in East Malaysia in northwest Borneo, and is ...
) during Malaysian independence, particularly in the
Battle of Sungei Koemba The Battle of Sungei Koemba (27 May – 12 June 1965) took place during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. Involving Australian and Indonesian troops, the battle consisted of a series of ambushes launched by the 3rd Battalion, Royal ...
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 from hijackers. In 2017 Kopassus was sent to Afghanistan to guard the Indonesia embassy in
Kabul Kabul 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. The city is divided for administration into #Districts, 22 municipal districts. A ...
,
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.


Organization

Kopassus organizational structure is different from the infantry units in general. Although Kopassus members generally are selected from the general Army Infantry, Kopassus maintains a different organizational structure. Kopassus units intentionally do not use the nomenclature of standard infantry units. This is apparent in their units called
Groups A group is a number of persons or things that are located, gathered, or classed together. Groups of people * Cultural group, a group whose members share the same cultural identity * Ethnic group, a group whose members share the same ethnic iden ...
. 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 (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
. *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 entertainmen ...
). 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 Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...
:
Gramedia Toko Buku Gramedia (''Gramedia Bookstore'') is an Indonesian bookstore owned by Kompas Gramedia. Established in 1970, Gramedia Asri Media has contributed to giving inspiration through knowledge, endeavor and direct participation in society for m ...
, 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,
Bogor Bogor City (), or Bogor (, ), is a landlocked city in the West Java, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.
Like "Group 1", "Group 2" has the main tasks and responsibilities for missions such as
Airborne assault Airborne forces are Ground warfare, ground combat units airlift, carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as par ...
,
Jungle warfare Jungle warfare or woodland warfare is warfare in forests, jungles, or similar environments. The term encompasses military operations affected by the terrain, climate, vegetation, and wildlife of densely-wooded areas, as well as the strategies a ...
,
Unconventional Warfare Unconventional warfare (UW) is broadly defined as "military and quasi-military operations other than conventional warfare" and may use covert forces or actions such as subversion, diversion, sabotage, espionage, biowarfare, sanctions, propaga ...
,
Counter-insurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...
, Special
Reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
, and
Direct Action Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...
.


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 A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...
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 or woodland warfare is warfare in forests, jungles, or similar environments. The term encompasses military operations affected by the terrain, climate, vegetation, and wildlife of densely-wooded areas, as well as the strategies a ...
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 (, also spelt: Chilachap, old spelling: Tjilatjap, Sundanese language, Sundanese: ) is a Regencies of Indonesia, regency () in the southwestern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is the town of Cilacap, which ...
and
Nusakambangan Nusa Kambangan is an island located in Indonesia, separated by a narrow strait from the south coast of Java. The closest port is Cilacap in Central Java province. It is known as the place where the fabled ''wijayakusuma'', which translates as th ...
. 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 Reserve Command (; abbreviated Kostrad) 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 operational readiness among all commands and con ...
component units.


Group 4 Combat Intelligence

Group 4 / Sandhi Yudha is a Kopassus unit that has the specification of "
Clandestine operation A clandestine operation (op) 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 politic ...
" 'secret warfare', including combat Intel and counter-insurgency. Group 4 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 4 / 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 ; 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 ( KOPASKA) and the Marine Corps' ...
from the
Indonesian Navy The Indonesian Navy (, TNI-AL) is the Navy, naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol Indonesia's lengthy coastline, to enforce and patrol the territorial waters and Exclus ...
, 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 ...
of the
Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...
, and the 1st Gegana Command of the Brimob Corps,
Indonesian National Police The Indonesian National Police (, abbreviated as POLRI) is the national law enforcement and police force of the Republic of Indonesia. Founded on 1 July 1946, it was formerly a part of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, country's military si ...
. "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 Berets of the United States Army, headgear, is a branch of the United States Army United States Army Special Operations Comm ...
, 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 as a company, it was modelled on the British SAS with which it shares the motto, ...
,
CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
,
MOSSAD The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (), popularly known as Mossad ( , ), is the national intelligence agency of the Israel, State of Israel. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with M ...
,
GSG9 , formerly , is the police tactical unit of the German Federal Police (Bundespolizei). The unit is responsible for combatting terrorism and violent crime, including organized crime. In addition to its headquarters location in Sankt Augustin-Han ...
. 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 as a company, it was modelled on the British SAS with which it shares the motto, ...
, 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 Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...
,
Java Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea (a part of Pacific Ocean) to the north. With a population of 156.9 million people (including Madura) in mid 2024, proje ...
. In July 2012, Exercise Sharp Knife II was held in
Jinan Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. In 2015, Kopassus and South Korea
707th Special Mission Battalion The 707th Special Mission Group () is a general-purpose special forces unit of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command (ROK-SWC). History The unit was formed after the Munich massacre, which forced the South Korean government to cr ...
held a joint counter terrorism exercise in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
. On 19 February 2018, Kopassus and 9 Para SF held a joint exercise called Garuda Sakti in Cipatat,
Bandung Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...
. On 7 February 2019, Kopassus and
Special Service Group The Special Service Group (SSG) are the special forces of the Pakistan Army. They are also known by their nickname of "Maroon Berets" due to their headgear. The SSG is responsible to deploy and execute five doctrinal missions: foreign inte ...
held a joint counter terrorism exercise called Elang Strike in
Pabbi Pabbi ( ; ) 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 province. O ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. In May 2019, former Secretary of Defense
Ryamizard Ryacudu General (Ret.) Ryamizard Ryacudu (born 21 April 1950) is an Indonesian politician who served as the Ministry of Defence (Indonesia), Minister of Defense of Indonesia from 2014 until 2019. He previously served as Chief of Staff of the Indonesian ...
and United States Acting
Secretary of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
Patrick M. Shanahan Patrick Michael Shanahan (born June 27, 1962) is an American businessman and the president and chief executive officer of Spirit AeroSystems. He is a former United States federal government official who served as the acting United States Secret ...
announced a joint combined exercise training in 2020. The exercise to be held in Indonesia would focus on
combat medic A combat medic is responsible for providing emergency medicine, 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 or illnes ...
training. In February 2020, the
Asia Times ''Asia Times'' (), formerly known as ''Asia Times Online'', is a Hong Kongbased 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 (military), 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 gro ...
at
Fort Bragg Fort Bragg (formerly Fort Liberty from 2023–2025) is a United States Army, U.S. Army Military base, military installation located in North Carolina. It ranks among the largest military bases in the world by population, with more than 52,000 m ...
,
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, 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, is a special operations forces of the Philippine Army (PA) that is specialized in combat patrols and scouting behind enemy lines in a special operations forces (SOF) style. ...
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 pattern ( 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 an Army-organized open house event at the grounds of the
Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex The Bung Karno Sports Complex (), better known as Gelora Bung Karno; formerly named the Asian Games Complex ( and the Senayan Sports Complex () from 1969 to 2001, is a sports complex located in Gelora, Tanah Abang, Gelora, Central Jakarta, border ...
, 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. The iconic wing was first worn by the first free fall instructors Mladen Milicetic, Stoyan Jovic and Dobel Stanej, all from the
Yugoslav Ground Forces The Yugoslav Ground Forces ( – KoV, sh-Cyrl, Копнена Војска – КоВ) was the ground forces branch of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) from 1 March 1945 until 20 May 1992 when the last remaining remnants were merged into the ...
, in Bandung during the first free fall graduation ceremony of Kopassus (RPKAD) held there on 26 October 1962.


Controversies


Human rights accusations

Kopassus has been accused by
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
s, Western politicians, and researchers of
human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...
violations.
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
and Indonesian human rights groups including the official
National Commission on Human Rights The National Commission on Human Rights (, Komnas HAM) is the national human rights institution (NHRI) of Indonesia. As with other NHRIs, its principal functions are the protection and promotion of human rights. History The commission was establi ...
(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, gharuwood or the Wood of Gods, commonly referred to as oud or oudh (from , ), is a fragrant, dark and resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small Woodworking, hand carvings. It forms in the heartwood of ...
and illegal gold mining in West Papua and other areas, and the trade in drugs. In 1975, five
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n
journalists A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
, 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 P ...
, 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 sub-district of Balibo, Bobonaro District. It was estimated by Human Rights Watch that 70 percent of the town was destroyed dur ...
during the
Indonesian invasion of East Timor The Indonesian invasion of East Timor, known in Indonesia as Operation Lotus (), began on 7 December 1975 when the Indonesian military (ABRI/TNI) invaded East Timor under the pretext of anti-colonialism and anti-communism to overthrow the Fre ...
. 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 An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
and musician. Arnold was the leader of the group Mambesak, and Curator of the
Cenderawasih University Cenderawasih University () 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 training and education, medical, ...
Museum. In November 1983, he was arrested by Kopassus and imprisoned and tortured for suspected sympathies with the
Free Papua Movement The Free Papua Movement or Free Papua Organization (, OPM) is a name given to a separatist movement that aims to separate West Papua from Indonesia and establish an independent state in the region. The territory is currently divided into six ...
, 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 four-star Indonesian Army, army general who is serving as the eighth and current president of Indonesia since 2024. He was previously t ...
appointed two of the Team Mawar officers, two serving Brigadier generals, to senior positions in the
Ministry of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
following approval by President
Joko Widodo Joko Widodo (; born 21 June 1961), often known mononymously as Jokowi, is an Indonesian politician, engineer, and businessman who served as the seventh president of Indonesia from 2014 to 2024. Previously a member of the Indonesian Democratic ...
.
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
criticised the appointments as the President and the DPR had promised to investigate missing activist cases and instead placed suspects in positions of power. and shortly after Prabowo was inaugurated as president two more former members of the Team Mawar became heads of the
National Cyber and Crypto Agency National Cyber and Crypto Agency (, abbreviated as BSSN), is Indonesia's primary signal intelligence agency, as well as cyber intelligence, cyber threat intelligence, cyber defense, and cyber security agency. History The National Cyber and ...
and the Main Secretariat of the State Intelligence Agency The United Nations ''Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on
East Timor Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
'' 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 Independence, independent sovereign state. An independence referendum that results in a vote for independenc ...
. 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 () was a 31-member umbrella group that was established to represent Papuan people fighting for an independent West Papuan state. It is not only representing indigenous Papuans but also migrants from Indonesia. Papuan Pr ...
. 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 Jayapura (formerly Hollandia (1910-1962), Kota Baru (1962-1963), Soekarnopura (1963-1968)) is the capital city, capital and List of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of the Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province of Papua (provi ...
or West Papua. They faced a
court-martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...
, 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' and 'speech' or 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, the concept of jurisdiction applies at multiple level ...
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, a major copper producer and operates the world's la ...
paid the TNI $10.7 million in protection money, but the company shut down the payments shortly before the ambush. In 2003,
Laskar Jihad Laskar Jihad ( English: ''Warriors of Jihad'') was an Islamist and anti-Christian Indonesian militia, which was founded and led by Jafar Umar Thalib. At present, the militia is believed to have disbanded. History Laskar Jihad was founded in ...
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 (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
, August 14, 2003
in a training camp near
Bogor Bogor City (), or Bogor (, ), is a landlocked city in the West Java, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.
in
West Java West Java (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
.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 Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
.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 Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949), commonly referred to as SBY, is an Indonesian politician and retired Indonesian Army, army general who served as the sixth president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2014 and the second president of Ind ...
advised the
Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. Obama, a Democrat from Illinois, took office following his victory over Republican nomine ...
it was the "litmus test of the bilateral relationship" after intense lobbying over four years to lift the 1999 ban.
Secretary of Defense A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...
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 appointed by President George W. Bush and retained b ...
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, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
members wrote to the Secretary of State and the Defense Secretary that they had serious concerns.


Criminal conducts

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 an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
rifles raided the Cebongan Prison near
Yogyakarta Yogyakarta is the capital city of the 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 Hamengkubuwono, a monarchy, Yogyakarta is regarded as an importan ...
which housed four prisoners charged with murdering their superior officer three days earlier in a nightclub brawl. The members threatened and beaten 12 prisons guards and a member fatally shot the four prisoners. The shooter was found guilty of homicide 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 (, sometimes shortened as IDAF / IdAF) is the Air force, aerial branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. The Indonesian Air Force is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia, and is headed by the Chief of Staff of th ...
members at a karaoke parlour in
Sukoharjo Sukoharjo Regency is a regency () in the Central Java province in Indonesia. It covers an area of 493.23 km2 and had a population of 824,238 at the 2010 CensusBiro Pusat Statistik, Jakarta, 2011. and 907,587 at the 2020 Census;Badan Pusat Statisti ...
, 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 an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
*
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 the third model of the Benelli Super 90 line of semi-automatic shotguns. The M3 holds ...
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. History Carlo Beretta, Giuseppe Mazzetti and Vittorio Valle, all experienced firearms designers, contributed to ...
*
Browning Hi-Power The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in the 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibers. It was based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal. ...
*
Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle The Carl Gustaf 84 mm recoilless rifle (, named after ''Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori'', which initially produced it) is a Swedish-developed caliber shoulder-fired recoilless rifle, initially developed by the Royal Swedish Army Materi ...
*
Colt 1911 The Colt M1911 (also known as 1911, Colt 1911, Colt .45, or Colt Government in the case of Colt-produced models) is a single-action, recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol chambered primarily for the .45 ACP cartridge. History Early hist ...
* Colt M16A2 *
Colt M4 The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US mil ...
*
FN Herstal , trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale, or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium, and former vehicle manufacturer. It was the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe . FN ...
Five-Seven *
FN Herstal , trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale, or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium, and former vehicle manufacturer. It was the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe . FN ...
MAG Mag, MAG, Mags or mags may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''MAG'' (video game), released in 2010 * ''Mág'' (film), a 1988 Czech film * ''Mag'' (Slovenian magazine), published from 1995 to 2010 * '' The Mag'', a British music magazin ...
*
FN Herstal , trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale, or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium, and former vehicle manufacturer. It was the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe . FN ...
Minimi *
FN Herstal , trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale, or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium, and former vehicle manufacturer. It was the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe . FN ...
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 (; stylized as GLOCK) is a brand of polymer-Receiver (firearms), framed, Recoil operation#Short recoil operation, short-recoil-operated, striker-fired, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer G ...
*
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; ) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg and also has subsidiaries in the United ...
G3 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; ) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg and also has subsidiaries in the United ...
G36 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; ) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg and also has subsidiaries in the United ...
HK53 The Heckler & Koch HK33 is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed in the 1960s by West German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K), primarily for export. Building on the success of their G3 design, the company developed a family of small ...
*
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; ) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg and also has subsidiaries in the United ...
Mk23 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; ) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg and also has subsidiaries in the United ...
MP5 *
Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; ) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg and also has subsidiaries in the United ...
HK 416 *
Pindad SS1 The SS1 (short for , ) is the standard assault rifle of the Military of Indonesia, 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. Th ...
*
Pindad SS2 The SS2 (short for , ) is a replacement for the Pindad SS1 created by 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 bein ...
* Pindad SS2-V5C *
QBZ-95 The Type 95 automatic rifle () or QBZ-95 is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured by Norinco, and issued since 1995 as the service rifle for the People's Liberation Army, People's Armed Police, and various law enforcement in China, la ...
*
Remington 700 The Remington Model 700 is part of a series of bolt-action (later semi-automatic 7400 series) centerfire rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. It is a progressive variant of the Remington Model 721 and Model 722 rifles series, wh ...
*
SIG Sauer SIG Sauer is since the 1970s a combined brand name of several Firearms manufacturing companies, with SIG referring to ''Swiss Industry Group'' originally founded 1853, while the latter part comes from Sauer & Sohn, founded in 1751 in Germany a ...
P226/P228 *
SIG Sauer SIG Sauer is since the 1970s a combined brand name of several Firearms manufacturing companies, with SIG referring to ''Swiss Industry Group'' originally founded 1853, while the latter part comes from Sauer & Sohn, founded in 1751 in Germany a ...
SG 552 *
SIG Sauer SIG Sauer is since the 1970s a combined brand name of several Firearms manufacturing companies, with SIG referring to ''Swiss Industry Group'' originally founded 1853, while the latter part comes from Sauer & Sohn, founded in 1751 in Germany a ...
SG 550 Sniper *
Steyr AUG The Steyr AUG () is an Austrian bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO intermediate cartridge, designed in the 1960s by Steyr-Daimler-Puch, and now manufactured by Steyr Arms GmbH & Co KG. The AUG was adopted by the Austri ...
*
Uzi The Uzi (; ; 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 State of Israel. ...
*
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 zbrojov ...
*
Walther PPK The Walther PP (, or police pistol) series pistols are blowback-operated semi-automatic pistols, developed by the German arms manufacturer Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen. Design The Walther PP series feature an exposed hammer, a double-action ...
* 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 brass or wooden foil grip. It was developed by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes in Shanghai based on ideas that the two ...
*
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 e ...


Fighting vehicles

* Casspir MK3 *
Pindad Komodo The Pindad Komodo or Pindad Dragon for export markets is a 4x4 light armored car developed and produced by Pindad. The vehicle was developed after President of Indonesia, Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made a visit to Pindad's ma ...
* Bushmaster *
Land Rover Defender The Land Rover Defender (introduced as the Land Rover One Ten, joined in 1984 by the Land Rover Ninety, plus the extra-length Land Rover One Two Seven in 1985) is a series of British off-road cars and pick-up truck, pickup trucks. They have f ...
* 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 The Mamba is a South African infantry mobility vehicle designed for internal security purposes. It was developed during the late 1980s to replace the Buffel in service with the South African military and security forces. The first models were bu ...
*
First Win The First Win is a Thai Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle with an all-welded steel monocoque V-hull produced by Thai defense contractor Chaiseri. The First Win is designed to provide high level protection against a variety of battlefield ...
*
OKA 4wd OKA Motor Company manufactured cab over all terrain vehicles, particularly four wheel drive trucks and tour buses in Bibra Lake, Western Australia. It manufactured three consecutive models: the XT, LT and NT. These models were available in a var ...
*
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 ...
*
Bandvagn 206 Bandvagn 206 (bv 206) (meaning ''"Tracked Vehicle 206"'' in English) is a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier initially developed and manufactured by the Swedish company Hägglund & Söner, and subsequently by BAE Systems Hägglunds, for ...
* SSE P1 PAKCI


Notable members

Throughout its history, many Kopassus members are notable (remarkable, significant, distinguish, or unusual enough to deserve attention or to be remembered) during their military career and/or become Indonesian government officials who not only take care of government affairs, but also help create many important decisions in Indonesia. * Alexander Evert Kawilarang - Founding father of Kopassus * Mochammad Idjon Djanbi - 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 (, known as Panglima TNI) is the professional head and highest-ranking officer of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Directly answerable to the president of Indonesia (the supreme commande ...
and Former
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs The Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, previously known as the Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, is the Indonesian government ministry in charge of the planning and policy coordination, as ...
. *
Sarwo Edhie Wibowo 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 also the father of Chief of ...
- 5th Kopassus Commander *
Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin Lieutenant general, Lieutenant General (Ret.) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (born 30 October 1952) is an Indonesian army officer and politician serving as the 27th Minister of Defense (Indonesia), minister of defense since 2024. From 2010 to 2014, he serve ...
- Defense Minister in Prabowo Subianto government * LB Moerdani - Former
Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces The Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (, known as Panglima TNI) is the professional head and highest-ranking officer of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Directly answerable to the president of Indonesia (the supreme commande ...
and former Minister of Defence. * Mung Parhadi Mulyo ( id) - 4th Kopassus Commander * Yogie SM ( 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 (, ) is an Indonesian Provinces of Indonesia, province on the western part of the island of Java, with its provincial capital in Bandung. West Java is bordered by the province of Banten and the country's capital region of Jakarta to t ...
* Wismoyo Arismunandar - Former Chief of Staff of the Army *
Agum Gumelar Agum Gumelar (born 17 December 1945) is a politician and former general of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. He is a former minister having held several positions, a former chairman of Indonesian Football Association and National Sports Commi ...
- 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 a ...
, former
Minister of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
and former Head of
Football Association of Indonesia The Football Association of Indonesia (; 'All-Indonesian Football Association'; abbreviated as PSSI) is the governing body of Football soccer, football in Indonesia. It was founded on 19 April 1930. The PSSI joined FIFA in 1952 and the Asian F ...
*
Prabowo Subianto Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo (born 17 October 1951) is an Indonesian politician, businessman, and former four-star Indonesian Army, army general who is serving as the eighth and current president of Indonesia since 2024. He was previously t ...
- Politician, Defense Minister in Joko Widodo's government since 2019, Indonesian eight president *
Sutiyoso Sutiyoso (born 6 December 1944), nicknamed Bang Yos, is an Indonesian politician and former general. He was Head of the State Intelligence Agency from 2015 to 2016, and was previously Governor of Jakarta from 1997 to 2007. Born in Semarang, Sut ...
- Politician, former
Governor of Jakarta } The Jakarta Special Region is administratively equal to a Provinces of Indonesia, province with special status as the largest city of Indonesia. Instead of a mayor, the executive head of Jakarta is a governor. The Governor of Jakarta is an elect ...
and head of
Indonesian State Intelligence Agency State Intelligence Agency may refer to: * State Intelligence Agency (Bulgaria) * State Intelligence Agency (Indonesia) See also * Defence Intelligence Agency (disambiguation) * National Security Agency (disambiguation) * National Intelligence 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 who has been serving as Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investments (I ...
- Founder and First Commander of Detachment 81 (now Sat-81/Gultor) Counter-terrorism unit of KOPASSUS; Politician, Indonesian Ambassador of Singapore (1999 – 2000), Minister of Industry and Trade (2000 – 2001), Presidential Chief of Staff (2014 – 2015), Coordinating Minister of Political and Security Affairs (2015 – 2016), Acting Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (2016 – 2016), Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs (2016 – 2024), Chairman of the National Economic Council of Indonesia (2024 – present). *
Muchdi Purwopranjono Major General (Ret.) 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 ...
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 State Intelligence Agency (Indonesia), State ...
a former general and the first head of
Indonesian State Intelligence Agency State Intelligence Agency may refer to: * State Intelligence Agency (Bulgaria) * State Intelligence Agency (Indonesia) See also * Defence Intelligence Agency (disambiguation) * National Security Agency (disambiguation) * National Intelligence Agen ...
(BIN), and was general chairman of the
Indonesian Justice and Unity Party The Justice and Unity Party (, abbreviated as PKP) formerly known as Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (, abbreviated as PKPI) is a list of political parties in Indonesia, political party in Indonesia. The party was founded as the Justice and ...
(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 (, abbreviated as BSSN), is Indonesia's primary signal intelligence agency, as well as cyber intelligence, cyber threat intelligence, cyber defense, and cyber security agency. History The National Cyber and ...
* I Gusti Putu Danny Nugraha Karya served as the Head of Papua Regional State Intelligence Agency until his death in combat during a military operation in April 2021.


In popular culture

*
Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI ''Pengkhianatan G30S/PKI'' (; Indonesian for ''Treachery of G30S/PKI'') is a 1984 Indonesian docudrama co-written and directed by Arifin C. Noer, produced by G. Dwipayana, and starring Amoroso Katamsi, Umar Kayam, and Syubah Asa. Produced ove ...
, A 1984 Indonesian
docudrama Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docu ...
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 Amoroso Katamsi (21 October 1940 – 17 April 2018) was an Indonesian actor and artist. He is well known by '' Penumpasan Pengkhianatan G 30 S PKI'' created in 1982 by director, Arifin C. Noer and by '' Djakarta 1966'' supported by Umar Kay ...
,
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 a professor of history at the University of Indonesia. Born to a noble family in ...
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 The Communist Party of Indonesia (Indonesian language, Indonesian: ''Partai Komunis Indonesia'', PKI) was a communist party in the Dutch East Indies and later Indonesia. It was the largest non-ruling communist party in the world before its Indo ...
(, 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 sub-district of Balibo, Bobonaro District. It was estimated by Human Rights Watch that 70 percent of the town was destroyed dur ...
, 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 P ...
shows this unit as the ones murdering the Five and executing Roger East.


See also

*
Kopaska The Kopaska () is the premier frogman and underwater demolition unit of the Indonesian Navy. The unit's motto is (Sanskrit for "There is no obstacle that cannot be defeated"). The unit's main duties are underwater demolition (raiding enemy s ...
*
Kopasgat The Kopasgat (, 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 their service headgear. Kopasgat is ...
*
Garda Muda Penegak Integrasi The Garda Muda Penegak Integrasi (), sometimes shortened to Gadapaksi was an Indonesian paramilitary group. It is thought to have had links with the Indonesian Special Forces group Kopassus. There are reports that it participated in joint actions ...
, 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 TV, radio, and Internet news program based in Manhattan and hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live ...
''
Photos
{{Authority control Army units and formations of Indonesia Special forces of Indonesia Military units and formations established in 1952 Airborne units and formations Special forces units and formations