Paskhas
Encyclopedia
The Korps Pasukan Khas (Paskhas) is an elite Special Forces Corps of the TNI-AU (Indonesian Air Force
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...

). Like other elite units in the Army and Navy, Paskhas is a ground combat unit that is capable of operating on land, sea, and air. The difference is that Paskhas is trained to seize and defend airfields from enemy forces, and then prepare the airfields to be able to facilitate friendly airplanes to land. This capability is called Front Air Base Establishment and Management Operation (Operasi Pembentukan dan Pengoperasian Pangkalan Udara Depan - OP3UD). Paskhas are the only IAF special forces and has many air-oriented combat ability such as combat control team, air fields control, combat SAR, jump master, ground forward air control, and they can also rules as Air Traffic Controller (ATC).

History

The history of Paskhas as the first airborne troops is almost as old as the Republic of Indonesia. Airborne infiltration operation by 14 paratroopers on October 17, 1947 in Kotawaringin, Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....

, is marked as the birth date of Paskhas. In the early years of Indonesian Air Force
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...

 (established on April 9, 1946), these airborne units are called Air Field Defense Troops (PPP). In April 1952, the Quick-Reaction Troops (PGT) was also established to strengthen the IAF. In 1952, the IAF ground units consisted of PPP, PGT, and PSU (Air Defense Unit). On October 15, 1962, PPP and PGT were organized into Air Fields Defense Command (Koppau). Later on May 17, 1966, Koppau was renamed to Quick-Reaction Troops Command (Kopasgat). There were three Kopasgat regiments, each located in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...

, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

 and Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...

. Kopasgat was transformed into Special Forces Center in 1985 before became Paskhas on July 7, 1997 based on the official decision of Indonesian Armed Forces Commander.

Strength

Today Paskhas has strength of around 7,300 personnel. Every Paskhas personnel must have Para-Commando qualification then added by special air aspects qualification based on his specialization. Paskhas famous with their orange beret that they used from this forces still with name Kopasgat in the mid of 1960’s. Paskhas motto is Karmanye Vadikaraste Mafalesu Kadatjana which meaning is working without hoping any reward. Every Paskhas personnel also equipped with white Commando dagger made from Germany. Orange beret and Commando dagger becoming trademark of this special forces. Paskhas also known with its light green camouflage uniform call Commando Stripe with a stretch out straight motif like moss-covered wooden, that’s very famous during Seroja operation in East Timor.
There is a plan to expand Paskhas unit into 10 or 11 battalion with twice as many personnel as what they are today. Until now, the placement of Paskhas still follows the organization of IAF weapon system, in particular the combat and support-combat airplanes. In other words, wherever there is an IAF main airbase, ideally there is a Paskhas battalion as the airfield defense unit.

Structure

  1. Paskhas Headquarter in (Sulaiman AFB, Margahayu Bandung
    Bandung
    Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...

    )
  2. 1st Wing/Hardha Maruta (Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base (AFB), Jakarta
    Jakarta
    Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

    )WEST REGIONAL:
    1. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       461/Cakra Bhaskara (Halim Perdanakusuma AFB, Jakarta
      Jakarta
      Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

      )
    2. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       462/Pulanggeni (Pekan Baru AFB, Riau)
    3. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       465/Brajamusti (Supadio AFB, Pontianak
      Pontianak, Indonesia
      Pontianak is the capital of the Indonesian province of West Kalimantan. It is a medium-size industrial city on the island of Borneo. Pontianak occupies an area of 107.82 km² in the delta of the Kapuas River...

      )
    4. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       467/Harda Dedali (Halim Perdanakusuma AFB, Jakarta
      Jakarta
      Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

      )
    5. A- Independent Company (Polonia AFB, Medan
      Medan
      - Demography :The city is Indonesia's fourth most populous after Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bandung, and Indonesia's largest city outside of Java island. Much of the population lies outside its city limits, especially in Deli Serdang....

      ) NEXT TO BE BATTALION 469
    6. B- Independent Company (Suryadarma AFB, Subang
      Subang, Indonesia
      Subang is the capital of the Subang Regency, West Java, Indonesia....

      )
    7. G- Independent Company (Lhokseumawe AFB, Aceh
      Aceh
      Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...

      )
    8. H- Independent Company (Sultan Iskandar Muda AFB, Aceh
      Aceh
      Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...

      )
  3. 2nd Wing Paskhas (Abdul Rachman Saleh AFB, Malang
    Malang
    Malang is the second largest city in East Java province, Indonesia. It has an ancient history dating back to the Mataram Kingdom. The city population at the 2010 Census was 819,708. During the period of Dutch colonization, it was a popular destination for European residents. The city is famous for...

    ):CENTER REGIONAL :
    1. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       463/Trisula (Iswahyudi AFB, Madiun
      Madiun
      Madiun is a city in the western part of the province of East Java Indonesia, an agricultural centre. It is the capital of the regency of the same name....

      )
    2. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       464/Nanggala (Abdul Rachman Saleh AFB, Malang
      Malang
      Malang is the second largest city in East Java province, Indonesia. It has an ancient history dating back to the Mataram Kingdom. The city population at the 2010 Census was 819,708. During the period of Dutch colonization, it was a popular destination for European residents. The city is famous for...

      )
    3. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       466/Pasopati (Sultan Hasanuddin AFB, Makasar)
    4. Battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       468/Sarotama (Manuhua AFB, Biak
      Biak
      Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...

      )
    5. E- Independent Company (Adi Sucipto AFB, Yogyakarta)
    6. D- Independent Company (El Tari AFB, Kupang
      Kupang
      Not to be confused with Tanjung Kupang in JohoreKupang is the provincial capital of East Nusa Tenggara province in southeast Indonesia....

      )
    7. F- Independent Company (Manuhua AFB, Biak
      Biak
      Biak features a tropical rainforest climate with nearly identical temperatures throughout the course of the year. The average annual temperature in the city is 27 degrees celsius, which is also generally the average temperature of each day in Biak...

      )
  4. 3rd Wing Paskhas / Training Center, (Sulaiman AFB, Bandung
    Bandung
    Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...

    )NEXT TO BE KODIKLAT PASKHAS
  5. Den Bravo-90, (Rumpin, Bogor
    Bogor
    Bogor is a city on the island of Java in the West Java province of Indonesia. The city is located in the center of the Bogor Regency , 60 kilometers south of the Indonesian capital Jakarta...

    )
  6. NEXT 3rd Wing Paskhas TO BE / Training Center, (Hasanuddin AFB, Bandung
    Bandung
    Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...

    )EAST REGIONAL

Combat Qualification

Paskhas personnel as an integral part of Air Force having their own specialty. This specialty was on duty that they are facing. Paskhas personnel having qualification and special ability to protect, defense and operate Air Field facilities. Air Force having high technology weapons system that becomes vital object to destroy by enemy forces.

Basic qualification for Paskhas personnel was Para-Commando; other qualification added based on his specialty. As Combat Control team (CCT) they have combat free fall ability, scuba diving and combat climber. CCT must be able to infiltrate from three media aspects (sea, air, land). Beside that, this team personnel must have one of the air aspect specialization such as Air Traffic Controller (PLLU), Meteorology (Meteo), Electronic-Communication (Komlek), Combat Field Engineer (Zeni), Intelligence, Fire Fighter (PK), Ground handling, Petroleum affairs (Permi), and Combat-Health affairs (Keslap). For free fall qualification they must brave enough to jump high and open his parachute in minimum high. Airborne technique that used was HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) or HAHO (High Altitude High Opening) with jump around 20.000 feet above sea level.

CCT also having qualification to direct fighter plane to bombing or shooting the target from the ground (Ground Forward Air Control/GFAC). This role was very important in battle because Air Support must be precise on time and target. Paskhas personnel must be able to use IT and to communicate with multimedia tools. Beside of that, they also demanding to have combat intelligence ability as a collection board (Bapul) for higher command or other side that needed. For example, informing about flight facilities before plane arrived, visibility, wind speed and direction, temperature and air humidity also height and cloud type. This was very important factor in bombing target and for the airborne process. All the personnel also having Combat-Field Engineer (include pioneer, rope, etc.), Air Field Control (Dallan) to operate flight in some aerodrome. Air Traffic Control (PLLU), which can control flight traffic in their sector area. Petroleum Affairs (Permi) to know and testing the oil standard that fulfill the conditions and the way to fill the oil in to the airplane. This special qualification surely not having by the all-Indonesian armed forces soldier.

Because Paskhas was commando forces, they rarely involve many personnel in their operation. Paskhas also using unusual calls when they doing combat mission such as detachment, team and unit to difference them from regular forces. It must be honestly admitted that there is no commando forces like Paskhas in the world
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