Maj. Gen. Eko Margiyono is the new commander of the Army’s Strategic Reserve Command (Pangkostrad), which is the largest military unit in Indonesia. He replaced Lt. Gen. Besar Harto Karyawan, who will be entering his mandatory retirement age next year—he has been transferred to a new position of commander of the infantry’s weaponry center at the Army’s training & education school. Eko will earn his three-star rank. With the appointment as the new Pangkostrad, Eko has a huge chance to become the next Army Chief of Staff (KSAD), or even the military commander by 2024.

The Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto’s plan to purchase 15 used Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets owned by the Austrian Air Forces continues to draw criticism. The ruling party PDIP has joined the chorus. Prabowo, who is also the chairman of Gerindra Party, has been urged to cancel the said controversial plan. Typhoon controversy aside, the Indonesian Ambassador for Russia Mohamad Wahid Supriyadi gave the assurance that the deal with Russia over the purchase of 11 Sukhoi Su-35 fighters was still ongoing. The Vice Minister of Defense Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, meanwhile, talked about the plan to purchase F-35 stealth fighters from the United States (US).

The ruling party PDIP has endorsed the incumbent Regent of Kutai Kartanegara (Kukar) Edi Damansyah in the local election of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan. The incumbent, who is also a PDIP cadre, may compete with two other contenders in the race. 

The ruling party PDIP decided to endorse Syamsu Rizal a.k.a Daeng Ical and his running mate Fadli Ananda in the city election of Makassar, South Sulawesi. Ical, who is a former vice mayor of Makassar, is known for being close to former Vice President Jusuf Kalla. Ical is the chairman of Makassar’s Indonesian Red Cross (PMI), whereas Kalla is the chairman of Indonesian Red Cross. Kalla’s nephew Munafri Arifuddin a.k.a Appi is still struggling to find a ticket to run in the race. Appi has only secured the backing of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)’s Democratic Party.

The Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto visited Turkey late last week as he looking to purchase military equipment. This is his second visit to Turkey in the past nine months, and some believe that at the heart of his visit is submarine, which is one of military equipments that Prabowo is looking for. But worth noting that he made the said trip in the midst of a controversy surrounding his plan to acquire 15 used Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets from the Austrian Air Forces.