TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – President Prabowo Subianto summoned his Special Advisor for National Defense, retired General Dudung Abdurachman, to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Dudung attended the summons on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
Dudung said he had been contacted by Prabowo’s aide by phone the previous evening. “Last night, I received a call from the aide, informing me that the President requested a meeting at three o’clock this afternoon,” Dudung said upon his arrival.
However, Dudung remained tight-lipped regarding the agenda of the meeting. He speculated that the Gerindra Party Chair intended to seek his counsel and perspective in his capacity as a presidential defense advisor.
He expressed his readiness to deliberate on both domestic and international defense matters with Prabowo. “Typically, he seeks input and advice from those of us serving as advisors,” he remarked.
Dudung was also asked regarding his stance on the Major Defense Cooperation Partnership (MDCP) signed by Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
“That initiative has been underway for some time, and it appears our cooperation with the United States will continue. Regarding the more fundamental issues, I believe the President will have a clearer outlook. I will also ask him about that later,” Dudung said.
Dudung Abdurachman is the former Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Army (TNI AD), having served from 2021 to 2023. Prior to that appointment, Dudung held prestigious roles as Commander of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad), Commander of the Jakarta Military Region, and Governor of the Military Academy in Magelang.
In 2024, Prabowo appointed Dudung as the Special Presidential Advisor for National Defense and Chairperson of the Defense Industry Policy Committee.
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