Malaysia vs. Indonesia
Military
| Malaysia | Indonesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Military branches | Malaysian Armed Forces (Angkatan Tentera Malaysia, ATM): Malaysian Army (Tentera Darat Malaysia), Royal Malaysian Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia, TLDM), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia, TUDM); Ministry of Home Affairs: the Royal Malaysian Police (PRMD, includes the General Operations Force, a paramilitary force with a variety of roles, including patrolling borders, counter-terrorism, maritime security, and counterinsurgency) (2021) note: Malaysia created a National Special Operations Force in 2016 for combating terrorism threats; the force is comprised of personnel from the Armed Forces, the Royal Malaysian Police, and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (Malaysian Coast Guard, MMEA) | Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI): Army (TNI-Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD)), Navy (TNI-Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL), includes Marine Corps (Korps Marinir, KorMar), naval air arm), Air Force (TNI-Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU)), National Air Defense Command (Komando Pertahanan Udara Nasional (Kohanudnas)), Armed Forces Special Operations Command (Koopssus), Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard (Kesatuan Penjagaan Laut dan Pantai, KPLP) is under the Ministry of Transportation (2021) note(s): the Indonesian National Police includes a paramilitary Mobile Brigade Corps (BRIMOB); following the Bali terror bombing in 2002, the National Police formed a special counter-terrorism force called Detachment 88 (Densus or Detasemen Khusus 88 Antiteror) |
| Military service age and obligation | 17 years 6 months of age for voluntary military service (younger with parental consent and proof of age); mandatory retirement age 60; women serve in the Malaysian Armed Forces; no conscription (2019) | 18-45 years of age for voluntary military service, with selective conscription authorized; 2-year service obligation, with reserve obligation to age 45 (officers); Indonesian citizens only (2019) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.9% of GDP (2020 est.) 1% of GDP (2019) 1% of GDP (2018) 1.1% of GDP (2017) 1.4% of GDP (2016) | 0.7% of GDP (2020 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2019) 0.7% of GDP (2018) 0.9% of GDP (2017) 0.8% of GDP (2016) |
| Maritime threats | the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift; the Singapore Straits saw 23 attacks against commercial vessels in 2020, vessels were boarded in 22 of the 23 incidents, one crew was injured, another taken hostage and two threatened during these incidents | the International Maritime Bureau continues to report the territorial and offshore waters in the Strait of Malacca and South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; the number of attacks increased slightly from 25 incidents in 2019 to 26 in 2020 due to aggressive maritime patrolling by regional authorities; vessels continue to be boarded while anchored or berthed at Indonesian ports with two crew taken hostage and two threatened in 2020; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia |
| Military and security service personnel strengths | the Malaysian Armed Forces have approximately 115,000 active duty troops (80,000 Army; 18,000 Navy; 17,000 Air Force) (2020) | the Indonesian National Armed Forces have approximately, 400,000 active duty troops (300,000 Army; 65,000 Navy, including about 20,000 marines; 30,000 Air Force) (2021) |
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the Malaysian Armed Forces field a diverse mix of imported weapons systems; the top suppliers of military hardware since 2010 are France, Germany, Spain, and Turkey (2020) | the Indonesian military inventory is comprised of equipment from a wide variety of sources; since 2010, the top suppliers are China, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, South Korea, the UK, and the US; Indonesia has a growing defense industry fueled by technology transfers and cooperation agreements with several countries; in 2019, the Indonesian Government publicly said that growing its domestic defense industry is a national priority over the next 5-10 years (2020) |
| Military deployments | 825 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (March 2021) | 200 Central African Republic (MINUSCA); 1,025 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 1,250 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (Jan 2021) |
Source: CIA Factbook
