Indonesia is preparing to utilize sections of its extensive toll road network as emergency landing strips for fighter jets, a move officials say will bolster national defense capabilities across the sprawling archipelago. The initiative, announced on Wednesday, aims to provide a dispersed network of airfields, reducing reliance on traditional airbases and offering a strategic alternative to costly aircraft carriers.
The plan was demonstrated earlier this week with successful landing and takeoff operations by an Indonesian Air Force F-16 fighter and an EMB-314 Super Tucano attack plane on the Terpeka Simpang Pematang Toll Road section in Lampung province, Sumatra. , marked the first time fighter jets have used Indonesian toll roads as runways, according to local news outlet Antara.
“This success marks an important milestone in strengthening the universal defense system,” Deputy Defense Minister Donny Ermawan Taufanto stated following the demonstration. The concept, officials explain, is to create multiple alternative landing points, ensuring continued fighter operations even if primary airbases are compromised. “We want every major island to have multiple base options. If one is attacked, another is available,” Taufanto added.
Indonesia’s geographic reality – comprising over 6,000 inhabited islands spread across more than 3,100 miles of ocean – presents unique challenges for national defense. Maintaining a conventional airbase presence across such a vast area is logistically complex and expensive. The toll road initiative offers a potentially cost-effective solution, leveraging existing infrastructure to enhance military readiness.
According to Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Tonny Harjono, the long-term goal is for each of Indonesia’s 38 provinces to have at least one toll road section capable of serving as an emergency runway. While no specific timeline has been provided, the Defense Ministry is already preparing a roadmap to identify and adapt suitable road segments. Future toll road construction will incorporate runway specifications as part of the national defense roadmap, officials said.
The initiative is not without its challenges. Toll roads are significantly narrower than standard airport runways – approximately 24 meters wide compared to the 45–60 meters of typical runways. “It’s risky, but Air Force pilots are trained for these conditions and landings have been safe,” Taufanto noted, acknowledging the increased complexity of landing on such surfaces.
The concept of utilizing highways as emergency landing strips is not unique to Indonesia. Militaries in the United States, Finland, and Sweden have previously demonstrated similar capabilities. The U.S. Military is also pursuing a strategy of dispersing air forces across the Pacific region, aiming to make them less vulnerable to attack, particularly in the context of potential conflict with China.
Indonesia has experienced periodic maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea. However, officials have emphasized that the toll road initiative is not directed at any specific country. “The use of toll roads as situational alternative runways aims to strengthen the Air Force’s operational readiness against various potential threats without reducing the public transportation infrastructure function of the toll roads,” a statement from the Defense Ministry clarified.
Analysts suggest the plan represents a pragmatic approach to defense, particularly given the financial constraints of acquiring and maintaining large-scale military assets like aircraft carriers. “A carrier is not a cost-effective platform,” said Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “Having a multitude of highway runways spread across the archipelago is strategically and operationally more sensible.” Koh added that the dispersed nature of such a network would offer greater resilience, as the loss of one runway would not cripple the entire system.
The plan calls for preparing road segments approximately 3,000 meters (nearly two miles) long to accommodate military aircraft operations. The Defense Ministry will collaborate with the Public Works Ministry and toll road operators to ensure that the necessary technical specifications are met. The F-16 and Super Tucano aircraft used in the initial tests are not typically operated from aircraft carriers, further highlighting the initiative’s focus on providing alternative landing options.
The success of the initial tests has spurred further planning and development. Officials are confident that the toll road network can be effectively integrated into Indonesia’s defense strategy, providing a flexible and cost-effective means of projecting air power across the archipelago and safeguarding national interests.
