Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says his country should strive to have a more powerful military than Australia.
About 16,000 Indonesian troops are preparing for joint military exercises in East Java.
Meeting with military commanders, Mr Yudhoyono told them that Indonesia‘s military should be bigger and more modern than countries like Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.
Indonesia’s military boasts 470,000 active troops, while the Australian Defence Force has just over 80,000 full-time personnel and reservists..
It has also embarked on a military upgrade program, building warships and drones, as well buying fighter jets, helicopters and rockets.
The Indonesian military is planning to acquire more firepower, with around $1.5 billion budgeted for missiles and helicopter gunships.
Defence force chief of staff General Pramono Edhie Wibowo said the plans included orders for 24 more Bell helicopters.
He said Indonesia was also negotiating to get another 20 Sikorsky Black Hawks.
General Pramono said the combat helicopters are needed to patrol the Malacca Strait between Indonesia and Malaysia.
There are also plans to buy missiles capable of hitting targets 100 kilometres away, as well as tanks and cannons.
Indonesia has already announced a number of military upgrades, including acquiring fighter jets from the United States and producing its own missile-capable warships.
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Craig Hill Media and Consulting 
It would so much nicer if all governments would build an economic infrastructure that is not oriented towards the violent eradication of it’s own species.
Posted by thomasoutt | May 5, 2013, 11:03