Indonesia is initiating a bold plan to convert its extensive toll roads into emergency runways for military aircraft. This strategy aims to provide the nation with the functionality of multiple aircraft carriers across its vast archipelago. Marshal Tonny Harjono, the chief of staff of the Indonesian Air Force, announced on March 13, 2024, that he envisions at least one section of toll road in each of the country’s 39 provinces serving as an emergency runway, although no specific timeline has been provided.
In a demonstration held in Lampung province on the southern tip of Sumatra, an Indonesian Air Force F-16 fighter jet and a Super Tucano attack aircraft successfully landed and took off from a toll road. Donny Ermawan Taufanto, the Deputy Defense Minister, praised the achievement, stating, “This success marks an important milestone in strengthening the universal defense system.”
Utilizing highways as military landing strips is not a novel concept. Countries like the United States, Finland, and Sweden have previously explored similar strategies. The U.S. military has been dispersing its fighter jets across various islands in the Pacific to complicate targeting in potential conflicts, particularly with China. While Indonesia has had its share of disputes with China in the South China Sea, this initiative for utilizing roadways is not perceived as a direct response to any nation.
According to an official statement from the Indonesian Air Force, “The use of toll roads as situational alternative runways is expected to strengthen the operational readiness of the Indonesian Air Force in facing various potential threats, without reducing the primary function of toll roads as public transportation infrastructure.” Analysts have pointed out that this approach is a cost-effective solution for a nation with over 6,000 inhabited islands spread across a distance of 3,100 miles (approximately 5,000 kilometers).
The Indonesian Navy lacks aircraft carriers, which are not only expensive to acquire but also costly to maintain. The construction and upkeep of a single aircraft carrier can reach into the billions of dollars. Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, noted, “An aircraft carrier doesn’t seem that attractive as a cost-effective platform. Having countless toll roads and highways earmarked as emergency military runways across the entire archipelago makes more strategic and operational sense.”
Koh highlighted the advantages of multiple roadways serving as potential runways, stating, “If you strike the aircraft carrier once, it’s gone. Multiple roads-as-runways mean the loss of one leaves several others to pick up the slack.” This strategy allows for a wider range of aircraft operations, as the F-16 and Super Tucano cannot operate from carriers, and roadways can accommodate more versatile and less expensive aircraft.
Harjono elaborated that sections of toll roads will be designated to measure 3,000 meters (almost two miles) in length to facilitate military aircraft landings and takeoffs. Taufanto commended the skills of the Indonesian pilots who successfully landed on roadways that are only half the width of standard airport runways. “Toll roads are only about 24 meters (approximately 79 feet) wide, narrower than airport runways at 45 to 60 meters. It’s risky, but Air Force pilots are trained for these conditions,” he explained, as reported by the government-run Antara news agency.
As Indonesia implements this innovative strategy, the focus remains on enhancing national security and operational readiness while utilizing existing infrastructure. The success of these demonstrations could pave the way for broader military applications across the archipelago, ensuring that the Indonesian Air Force remains agile and capable in an evolving regional landscape.
