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The Indonesian National Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency (Indonesian: Badan Intelijen Strategis Tentara Nasional Indonesia), abbreviated BAIS TNI, is a state institution that specifically handles military intelligence and is under the command of the Indonesian National Armed Forces headquarters. BAIS time-frames for actual and forecasted intelligence and strategy analysis for the future (short, medium, and long term) for the Armed Forces Commander and for the Ministry of Defence.[3]
| Indonesian National Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency | |
|---|---|
| Badan Intelijen Strategis Tentara Nasional Indonesia | |
 Insignia of the Indonesian National Armed Forces | |
| Active | 1986 |
| Country | Indonesia |
| Role | Military intelligence |
| Size | 3,000[1] |
| Part of | Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) |
| Commanders | |
| Head |  Lieutenant General Yudi Abrimantyo[2] |
| Vice Head |  Major General Muhammad Tawakal Syaeful Haq Sidik |
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PsiAD
BAIS started as the Army Psychological Center (Pusat Psikologi Angkatan Darat abbreviated PSiAD) belonging to the Army Headquarters (MBAD) to balance the Central Intelligence Bureau (Biro Pusat Intelijen abbreviated BPI) under the leadership of Subandrio, which absorbed a lot of PKI sympathists.[4]
Pusintelstrat
At the beginning of the New Order era, the Ministry of Defense and Security established the Strategic Intelligence Center (Pusat Intelijen Strategis abbreviated as Pusintelstrat) with PSiAD members being mostly liquidated into it.[4]
Pusintelstrat is led by the Chairman of the Directorate of Defense and Security Brigadier General L.B. Moerdani. The position continued to be held until L.B. Moerdani became Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces. In this era, military intelligence had an operational intelligence agency but not part of Pusintelstrat called the Kopkamtib Intelligence Task Force. This agency in the Kopkamtib era played a full role as an Operational Intelligence Unit whose authority was very superior.[4]
When Pusintelstrat was still the Indonesian national armed force intelligence agency, several operations that were known to have been carried out by Pusintelstrat:
- dealing and Surveillance with refugees from Vietnam who were accommodated on Galang Island.[5]
- procuring Harpoon missiles on former Royal Dutch Navy warships.[5]
- Negotiate with ASEAN countries to refused ASEAN to provide weapons assistance to the Khmer Rouge.[5]
Badan Intelijen ABRI (BIA)
In 1980, the Pusintelstrat and the Kopkamtib Intelligence Task Force were merged into the ABRI Intelligence Agency (Badan Intelijen Angkatan Bersenjata Republik Indonesia abbreviated BIA). The BIA was commanded by the commander of ABRI, while operational duties of BIA are led by the Deputy Chief.[4] "ABRI" was the name of the Armed Forces of Indonesia during the new order era.
several operations that were known to have been carried out by BIA:
- Operation Alpha, where BAIS negotiated with Israel and cooperated with MOSSAD to purchase 30 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk light combat aircraft from the Israeli Air Force.[6]
- being involved in negotiations of Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 206 plane hijacking.[5]
- helped the escape of the DGSE agents who blew up the Rainbow Warrior ship.[7]
- sent weapons and logistics to the Afghan mujahidin. The weapons sent consisted of several hundred AK-47 and several MILAN ATGM.[8][9]
Badan Intelijen Strategis (BAIS)
In 1986, in response to the challenges, BIA was changed to BAIS. This change had an impact on organizational restructuring which must be able to cover and analyze all aspects of the Strategic Defense, Security and National Development.[4]
After a long process, finally in 1999 (post reformation) the institution was legally recognized as Badan Intelijen Strategis Tentara Nasional Indonesia (shortened BAIS TNI).
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BAIS oversees Indonesian Defence attaches posted in various Indonesian diplomatic missions throughout the world.[10]
Leadership of BAIS
BAIS is headed by a three-star armed forces general holding the title of Kepala BAIS (shortened Ka Bais) and is assisted by a Vice Head which is a two-star armed forces general holding the title of Wakil Kepala BAIS (shortened Waka Bais). Currently it is headed by Lieutenant General Joni Supriyanto which held office since 21 October 2020,[11][12] and the vice head is Major General Achmad Riad.[13] The leadership of BAIS reports to the Commander of the Armed Forces (Panglima TNI).[14]
Directorates
BAIS organization is quite secretive. According to Presidential Decree No. 66/2019, there are 8 Directorates under BAIS, all are named by letters only. Prior 2023, only 7 directorates have known function as in 2016.[15] The latest formed directorate, H Directorate, which formed in 2019 is assigned for an unknown undisclosed function since its creation, but subsequently identified in 2023.[16][17]
- A Directorate for Domestic Military Intelligence
- B Directorate for Foreign Military Intelligence
- C Directorate for Defense and Military Intelligence
- D Directorate for Military Security Intelligence
- E Directorate for Psychological Operations
- F Directorate for Administration and Finance
- G Directorate for Research and Production
- H Directorate for Strategic Defense Potentials Intelligence
Parental Units
BAIS oversees several parental units known as Satuan Induk Badan Intelijen Strategis (Satinduk BAIS TNI). It is commanded by a Brigadier General.
Scope Duties
Intelligence education
- Basic training
- Secondary training
- Strategic training
Intelligence Functional Duties
- Investigation
- Security
- Materials / Assets
- Personnel
- News / Information
- Raising / Coaching
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- In 1997, BAIS successfully conducted a counterintelligence operation to arrest an Australian spy working for the ASIS and a person believed to be an Indonesian military intelligence officer who was planning a meeting to provide documents, document drop occurred in Jakarta but, unknown to both spies, they were being observed by Indonesian counter-intelligence officers, Within days the officer had been quietly shuttled out of the country, never to work in intelligence services again. A Herald investigation over several months has uncovered the agent's name, which, for legal reasons, cannot be published. He was operating under diplomatic cover and was not declared to the Indonesians as a spy, meanwhile According to one account, Indonesia Intelligence officer who was also arrested for working for ASIS Was executed, causing anger in sections of the Indonesian military.[18]
- Australian intelligence agencies have several times suspected that Indonesian intelligence agencies had succeeded in infiltrating the Australian government to recruit high-level Australian officials, such as in 1999 where the Australian intelligence agencies carried out a hunt for an Australian official in Canberra because they were suspected of being a spy for Indonesia's military intelligence agency is BAIS and it is believed that this official works near the top of a specified Canberra policy-making department, According to the information under investigation, the BAIS recruit is in a position to provide highly classified information as well as help shape Australian policy in ways that benefit the existing political and military power structure in Indonesia, and BAIS believed to share information about this with BIN, Until now the results of these investigations are unknown, and according to sources from Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2013, the Australian official in Canberra who was spying for BAIS has still not been found and it seems that the investigation has ended.[19][20][21][22]
- In 2013, it is known that INDONESIAN military intelligence (BAIS) agencies use Chinese surveillance equipment to target Australian officials, companies and individuals. BAIS is also known to have spied on thousands of Australians working in Indonesia and also western countries that have interests in Indonesia and it is known that this cooperation has been carried out since 2011. Intelligence cooperation between China and Indonesia has provided great benefits for China in understanding the political situation in the southeast Asian country and may answer why China was able to quickly have a strong influence in Southeast Asia and weaken the interests of Western countries in Southeast Asia.[23]
Chinese intelligence linked activities
BAIS and BIN are perhaps one of the entities most responsible for changing world geopolitics and trigger destabilization in this 21st century, this is done in close collaboration with Chinese intelligence where BAIS and BIN collect intelligence from countries in South East Asia, Australia and other Western nations with interests in Indonesia which then later this intelligence data will be shared with Chinese Intelligence, Close intelligence cooperation between China and Indonesia has provided great benefits for China in understanding the political situation in Southeast Asia and for China to acquire intelligence about bilateral plans and strategies of Western nations, and this may answer why China was able to quickly have a strong influence in Southeast Asia and weaken the interests of Western countries in South East Asia.
BAIS may have also help China strengthen its influence throughout the world, with China obtaining information about the strategics of Western nations from BAIS and BIN, with which China then studies to weaken influence from the West, which ultimately impacts geopolitical changes and trigger destabilization throughout the world.[23][20][21][24][25]
Looking at the story about the collaboration between BAIS and the Chinese intelligence agency, BAIS may have been the initial party and liaison from the beginning of very close diplomatic relations between China and Indonesia, where it is said that President Xi Jinping knows Indonesia very well when he was regional party boss in Fujian where the families of many of Indonesia's Chinese tycoons came from. This may be because BAIS has predicted that since the Fall of Soeharto, Indonesia influence in the geopolitical world will be very weakening and there will be a strong and large internal and external threat from countries that want to damage Indonesia sovereignty, therefore BAIS seems to be voluntarily starting close intelligence cooperation with China so Indonesia has a very powerful and effective tool of deterrence, bargaining power and retaliation throughout world.[23][26]
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