IO, Jakarta – Japan has just celebrated the 65th anniversary of its Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF). Apart from ceremonies held in the country of the Rising Sun, celebrations were also held in Jakarta, by the Embassy of Japan on Thursday, 11 July 2019. Masafumi Ishii, Japan’s Ambassador to Indonesia, inaugurated the celebration at Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, M. H Thamrin, Central Jakarta. In his speech, he commended the latest military cooperation between the two countries.
“After a gap for few years, Indonesia has restarted the exchange of three of its best cadets to the National Defense Academy (NDA), as well as starting to send two officers to SDF Command and Staff Colleges, from this year,” said Ambassador Ishii. “This is the first time that Japan and Indonesia have cooperated, after our latest venture in 2016. Last but not least, our relationship is strong because it is based upon “from heart to heart” ties. Like every year, today, we have a few members of Indonesian alumni from Japan’s National Defense Academy. Welcome back!”
The Defense Attaché for Japan’s Self-Defense Force, Takahiro Yamashita, reiterated that five Indonesians have been assigned for training, i.e. two cadets and two officers. “This year, the three cadets came from the Indonesian Air Force and Naval Force, same as the two officers. They are now studying at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Training Center,” Yamashita said.
Yamashita stated that the cadets will undergo the exchange study program for at most five years, while the officers will only undergo one year of training. “The Indonesian cadets will undergo the program for 5 years. They will spend their first year learning the Japanese language. After that, they will spend the remaining four years following the curriculum, based on the NDA program,” he said. (rei)