The Indonesian military marked its 69th anniversary with serious shows of strength and capability. More than 20,000 military personnel, 230 military aircraft, 149 combat vehicles and dozens of military ships participated in the celebrations — the biggest to take place during former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s 10 years in office.
The military expanded significantly under Mr. Yudoyono, securing orders for tanks, missiles and helicopters from countries such as Germany and the United States. During these period, Yudhoyono sent out messages on his Twitter TWTR +1.18% account calling on the military to always stay professional. He attended the celebrations in Surabaya along with the new President Joko Widodo, and vice president Jusuf Kalla who were sworn in on October 20, 2014.
