April 16 Kopassus Anniversary, along with his historical traces and achievements

JAKARTA (Antara)-On April 16, 2025, the Special Forces Command (Kopassus) celebrated the 73rd Anniversary (HUT).

This date marks the formation of this elite unit on April 16, 1952, through the instructions of the Army Commander and Territory III. Since then, Kopassus has been present as part of the Army with special tasks in the fields of defense, security, to non-war military operations.

Each Kopassus Anniversary Commemoration is usually filled with various series of activities. In addition to official ceremonies and respect for the soldiers, this moment was also colored by social activities, humanitarian actions, and joint training that showed the ability and readiness of the Red Berets in the face of various challenges.

When talking about elite troops in Indonesia, the name Kopassus is almost always the first to cross the minds of many people. Not only because of their greatness and courage, but also because of the long history that forged Kopassus to be one of the most respected elite units, not only in Indonesia, but also in the world. The following is the history and achievements of Kopassus.

Also read: Panglima Called Kopassus Must Increase HR and ALUTSISTA TECHNOLOGY

History of Kopassus

The beginning of the formation of Kopassus could not be separated from the tile situation in July 1950. At that time, there was a rebellion in Maluku by a group called RMS (Republic of South Maluku). To reduce the movement, the leader of the Indonesian Armed Forces immediately mobilized special forces. This operation was led directly by the Army and Territory III Commander Colonel Ae Kawilarang, with Lieutenant Colonel Slamet Riyadi as Commander of the Operations.

Although the operation succeeded in crushing the rebellion, there were quite a lot of victims from the TNI. The evaluation results show that enemies with small forces are able to provide fierce resistance because they have the ability to fight individuals, shooting skills, and qualified combat experiences. This event encouraged Lieutenant Colonel Slamet Riyadi to initiate the formation of a hitter that could be moved quickly and precisely, facing various combat situations.

After the death of Lieutenant Colonel Slamet Riyadi in one of the battles in Ambon, this idea was continued by Colonel Ae Kawilarang. Finally, through the instructions of the Army and Territory III Commander No. 55/Inst/PDS/52 dated April 16, 1952, a unit of Territorium III command was formed, the forerunner of Kopassus, known as the Red Berets Corps. The first command was entrusted to Major Moch. Idjon Djanbi, a former KNIL captain who has experience in joining the Dutch Troopen Special Corps during World War II.

In its journey, this unit experienced several changes in names, including:

• Army Command Unit (KKAD) in 1953
• Army Command Forces Regiment (RPKAD) in 1955
• Center for Special Forces of the Indonesian Army (Puspasus TNI-AD) in 1966
• Sandhi Yudha Troop Command (Kopassandha) in 1971
• Until finally, in 1985, this unit was officially named the Special Forces Command (Kopassus) as known today.

Also read: Prabowo attended the 72nd Kopassus Anniversary Ceremony in Cijantung

Kopassus achievements from time to time

Kopassus has made various brilliant achievements in its history. Here are some of his achievements

• 1962: Assignment in Trikora Operation to free West Irian from the Netherlands.
• 1965: PKI Eradication Operations in various regions in Indonesia.
• 1975: Assignment in Operation Seroja to win East Timor from Portugal.
• 1981: Liberation of 57 Hostages in the Drama Piracy of the Garuda DC-9 Woyla aircraft by the Jihad Command.
• 1993: Assignment in the UN peace mission in Cambodia (UNTAC).
• 1996: Liberation of Hostages in Mapenduma, Papua, from the OPM group.
• 1997: The success of climbing the top of Mount Everest.
• 1999: Assignment in the United Nations Peace Mission in East Timor (camel).
• 2004: Operations to crush the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Aceh
• 2009: Assignment in the United Nations Peace Mission in Lebanon (Unifil).
• 2016: Operation crushing terrorist groups in Poso, Central Sulawesi

Also read: Defense Minister: Kopassus must have a qualified ‘soft power’

Also read: Group 1 Kopassus Receives Honorary Samkarya Nugraha from the President

Reporter: Allisa Luthfia
Editor: Suryanto
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