November 22, 2025 | 03:40 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has proposed that Kertajati Airport in Majalengka be developed into a National Defense Industrial Zone.
"Our idea is that in addition to being a special economic zone, Kertajati becomes a domestic defense industry area. Our hope is that defense industries such as Pindad, PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI), and others can be concentrated there," he said in a press release on Friday, November 21, 2025.
Dedi Mulyadi delivered the proposal during the Coordination Meeting for the Acceleration of Development and Operation of Sustainable Aerospace Park Kertajati at Gedung Sate, Bandung, on Thursday, November 20, 2025, alongside the Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas, Rachmat Pambudy. Currently, Kertajati Airport primarily serves civil aviation.
The Governor argued that Kertajati Airport's existing facilities already meet the operational standards required for military aircraft, which would fully support the development of a comprehensive defense industry area. He believes that designating the airport area as a national defense hub would bring significant economic impact to West Java.
"If the area is designated as a domestic defense industry area, investors will come more quickly because of the higher security and comfort," Dedi Mulyadi noted.
Dedi Mulyadi also stated that relocating defense industry facilities to Kertajati would help reduce the burden on space and infrastructure density in Bandung. For example, PT Dirgantara Indonesia and PT Pindad, which currently operate facilities in Bandung, could move their primary operations there.
"To reduce the burden in Bandung, the military complex at Husein [Sastranegara Airport] could be relocated there. PT Dirgantara Indonesia is also overcrowded and could be relocated," he said.
Furthermore, Dedi Mulyadi suggested that the cost of relocating defense industry facilities to Kertajati would not heavily burden the state budget, given the high economic value of the land in Bandung that can be monetized to support development in Kertajati. "If PT Dirgantara Indonesia is relocated there, I think it’s possible, because the economic value in Bandung is very high. That potential could be utilized," he said.
On the government side, Minister of National Development Planning/Head of Bappenas Rachmat Pambudy affirmed the government's commitment to accelerating the development of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and the defense industry area plan in Kertajati.
"I received information that MRO is not only for civil aircraft, but also for military aircraft. Later, colleagues from the Ministry of Defense will discuss this," he confirmed.
Rachmat added that Bappenas is currently preparing the technical planning. "Our task at Bappenas is to prepare the acceleration of the planning. The West Java Provincial Government will be the first to utilize it," he said.
He explained that developing a comprehensive defense industry area in Kertajati would hold strategic value and has the potential to become the only similar area in Asia. "If that happens, perhaps it will be the only area in Asia that we can develop here," he concluded.
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