Denjaka (abbreviation from Detasemen Jala Mengkara; Jala Mangkara Detachment) is a counter-terrorism special operations force of the Indonesian Navy. It is a combined detachment formed from selected personnel of the Navy's frogmen unit (KOPASKA) and the Marine Corps' Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (Taifib).

History

On 4 November 1982, the Chief of Staff of the Navy issued a decree (No. Skep/2848/XI/1982) to form a task force called Pasukan Khusus Laut/ Pasusla or Naval Special Forces, to fulfill the need for a maritime special operations forces capable of countering terrorism and sabotage. In the initial phase, 70 personnel from the Marine Corps Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion and Navy frogmen were recruited to form Pasusla. The new unit, then a company, was under the command of the Western Fleet commander with assistance from the Commandant of the Marine Corps, while the Chief of Staff of the Navy acted as the operational commander of the Pasusla. The unit was then based at Western Fleet Command Headquarters, Jakarta. Upon further development of this unit, on 13 November 1984, the Chief of Staff of the Navy requested the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, General Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani, to formalize the raising of a naval special forces unit, which was approved and through the issuance of an approval letter (No. R/39/08/9/2/SPN). In 1997, after the issuance of Chief of Staff of the Navy decree No: Kep/42/VII/1997 dated 31 July that year, the formation was officially named the Jala Mangkara Detachment.

Mission

Denjaka's primary task is to conduct anti-terrorism, anti-sabotage, and other clandestine operations, maritime counter-terrorism, counter-sabotage, and other special operations as directed by the chief of the armed forces. Denjaka can approach a target by sea, underwater, and vertically from the air as its members are qualified to be deployed as paratroopers. Aside from counter-terrorism-related tasks, Denjaka also used to deploy for the security of VIPs.

Organisational structure

According to the Indonesian Navy organization, Denjaka is a Marine Corps task force under the Indonesian Navy, with the commandant of the Marine Corps holding responsibility for general training, while specific training falls under the responsibilities of the chief of Armed Forces Strategic Intelligence Agency, such as anti-terror, anti-sabotage and clandestine operations with marine aspect. Operational command falls directly under the chief of the armed forces. Denjaka HQ is located on Gunung Sahari Street no 67 Central Jakarta. Denjaka organization consists of one HQ team, one technical team, and four operational elements, which are:

Recruitment and training

Personnel of Denjaka are trained at Bumi Marinir Cilandak, South Jakarta, and must complete four months of training called Penanggulangan Teror Aspek Laut (PTAL). Their field of operations is in the form of ships, offshore installations, and coastal areas.