From jungle guerrillas to a specialized amphibious force of the Indonesian Navy

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Born from a desperate need for ground combat training in 1945, the Indonesian Marine Corps has evolved from a small training school into a massive naval infantry force. Once forced into jungle warfare due to a lack of ships, they now command specialized units and heavy armored elements.

The origins of the Corps Mariniers (CM) trace back to 15 November 1945 at Base IV of the ALRI in Tegal. Originally designed as a training school to prepare sailors for emergency ground combat, the unit's early history was defined by necessity. Lacking sufficient naval vessels, the instructors and recruits were forced to abandon maritime operations to join guerrilla warfare in the mountains and jungles of Central Java. Many of the early instructors were former graduates of the sailing school. However, some pioneers, such as Tatang Rusmaja, brought vital experience from their time in the PETA force.

This unconventional start transformed the unit's identity. By 17 March 1948, the commander of the armed forces assigned the combat-experienced CM to the Diponegoro Division of the Indonesian Army. Following this, the Ministry of Defense formally recognized the need for a dedicated amphibious commando unit in 1948, leading to the establishment of the Korps Komando (KKO). The unit's identity was further solidified when the Navy officially restored its original name, Korps Marinir, in 1975. This followed a major organisational restructuring that occurred shortly after.

The Corps has seen significant shifts in both equipment and scale. During the Trikora Campaign in the 1960s, the unit underwent massive rearmament, replacing US-made gear with Soviet-produced assets like PT-76 amphibious light tanks and BTR-50 APCs. Today, the Corps is a large-scale military corps-level unit commanded by a three-star Marine Lieutenant General. It maintains a complex structure including specialized units like the Taifib amphibious reconnaissance battalion and the joint Navy-Marine special operations unit, Denjaka, which was created on 1 December 1984. The force's current order of battle includes three distinct divisions. It also maintains a specialized amphibious reconnaissance battalion known as Taifib.

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