Prabowo Orders Broader Forest Fire Response, Hercules Air Support
President Prabowo Subianto has ordered a broader response to forest and land fires, including expanded aerial operations using Hercules aircraft. After a limited meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Oct. 19, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said the order also called for the military, police, forestry officials and residents to act together without waiting for rain.
JAKARTA — Indonesia’s president has ordered a wider response to forest and land fires, directing officials to expand aerial operations with Hercules aircraft and mobilize ground teams rather than wait for rain. The order came at a limited meeting at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026, as fires put pressure on efforts to protect communities and forests.
President Prabowo Subianto called for the military, police, forestry officials and residents to work together and begin concrete action immediately, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Dudung Abdurachman said after the meeting. The instructions place the emphasis on deploying available resources quickly, both from the air and on the ground.
Hercules aircraft added to aerial operations
Dudung said the president ordered the military commander to use Hercules aircraft in operations involving dry ice, expanding on work already being carried out with Casa aircraft. The briefing did not provide further details about the operation or specify how many aircraft would be deployed.
“Earlier, it was also deployed; the military commander was ordered to use dry ice, which is currently being done using Casa aircraft. This has now been ordered using Hercules,” Dudung said.
The aircraft directive forms part of a broader effort to bring more capacity to fire response. For people in affected areas, the speed and coordination of those deployments matter: the government’s stated approach is to move resources into action instead of making rainfall a prerequisite for intervention.
Ground teams told to act immediately
Prabowo also called for a larger deployment of personnel. TNI military and National Police units, forestry department staff and local residents were all named as participants in the response.
“The president ordered a more massive deployment of forces and personnel, including the military, police and Forestry Department, as well as involving the community. This really must be done on a massive, measured basis and carried out immediately,” Dudung said.
The instruction calls for a coordinated effort, not separate responses by individual agencies. The briefing did not identify specific fire locations, provide casualty or damage figures, or set out a timetable for the deployments.
Dudung said Prabowo was firm that officials should not wait for rain before acting. “President also said not to wait for rain to fall, but to act immediately. He was very firm in telling us that this response must truly be carried out with hard work,” he said.
The account of the meeting was also reported by the Presidential Secretariat’s Press, Media and Information Bureau (BPMI Setpres).
