Southeast Asia’s First: Indonesia Unveils Tactical Ballistic Missile Capability

Indonesia has made headlines by becoming the first country in Southeast Asia to deploy a tactical ballistic missile system, marking a major shift in the region’s military dynamics.

KHAN Ballistic Missile System: Key Highlights

Khan’s ballistic missile system is developed by Turkish defense firm Roketsan. It’s an export version of Türkiye’s Bora missile. It has a range of up to 280 kilometers. It carries a 470 kg high-explosive warhead. The accuracy is about Sub-10-meter circular error probability (CEP), making it highly precise.

Mounted on an 8×8 Tatra wheeled platform for rapid deployment and repositioning. It has a navigation system that uses a hybrid system combining GPS, GLONASS, and inertial guidance for reliability even in contested environments.

Strategic Deployment

Spotted at the Raipur A base in East Kalimantan, near Indonesia’s future capital, Nusantara. It enhances Indonesia’s rapid-response capability and deterrence posture, especially amid tensions in the South China Sea. The deployment reflects Indonesia’s pivot toward more assertive defense strategies and diversified international partnerships, particularly with Türkiye.

This move breaks the norm in Southeast Asia, where most countries have avoided ballistic systems due to their offensive nature. Analysts believe it could reshape the regional power balance, prompting neighboring nations to reassess their own defense postures.