JAKARTA—WorldWartaGlobal.Id
No more relying only on border posts and manual patrols. Immigration has decided: the borders must be watched from the sky.
On Monday, June 30, 2026, the Directorate General of Immigration officially partnered with the Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Bandung Institute of Technology / ITB to build the "Digital Fence”_. A nonstop drone patrol system to seal off illegal crossing routes along Indonesia’s borders.
Firm, fast, and made by the nation’s own people.
Born from Concern at an Exhibition in Singapore_
The idea came after Director General of Immigration _Hendarsam Marantoko_ attended a defense exhibition in Singapore a few months ago.
"There I saw all kinds of advanced technologies for border security. But none of them were made by our own people. Yet our domestic human resources have more than enough competitiveness to produce products of equal quality," said Hendarsam.
From there, he moved fast. He reached out to the country’s top tech campus: ITB. One goal: close border gaps with technology.
The Scale of the Problem: 3,111 KM, Only 18 PLBNs_
The numbers tell the story. Indonesia has _3,111 km of land borders
The reality? Only 18 State Border Crossing Posts / PLBNand 38 Border Crossing Posts / PLB_. And 3 of those PLBNs are not yet operational. Only 7 PLBs are actually active. The rest are stalled due to border crossing agreements.
Data from Land Immigration Inspection Points / TPI from January to April 2026 recorded _679,867 legal crossings_. But the real danger lies with illegal crossers using "rat trails."
Add to that the risks of Human Trafficking / TPPO, human smuggling, and commodity smuggling. Plus limited digital infrastructure and security risks for personnel in conflict areas.
"This is what we have to solve," Hendarsam stressed.
The Solution: 2 Drones, 24 Hours, Solar Powered_
The "Digital Fence" won’t use barbed wire. It will use eyes in the sky
Immigration will deploy drones developed by ITB since 2019 and produced with PT Dirgantara Indonesia / PT DIThe specs:
1. HALE Drone- High-Altitude Long-Endurance. Flies constantly at 1,000 meters for 24 hours nonstop. Its job: sweep long-range perimeters.
2. Mantis Drone - A tactical drone. Once the HALE detects suspicious movement, Mantis drops in for close-range visual interception.
Both are powered by solar panels. Meaning they can patrol nonstop.
This technology has already proven effective in the agricultural sector.
How It Works: Detect, Send Coordinates, Act
"The digital fence cannot physically stop people, but it provides real-time situational awareness," Hendarsam explained.
The logic is simple: Drone sees , Sends coordinates Nearest Immigration/TNI post moves in.
"This drastically cuts the response time of conventional patrols. Drones also extend our officers’ reach. And it’s far more cost-efficient than operating manned aircraft," he said.
Priority: 4 Vulnerable Points
Phase one will focus on land borders:
1. Kalimantan - border with Malaysia
2. Papua- border with Papua New Guinea
3. NTT- border with Timor Leste
For sea borders: Riau Islands, Batam, and surrounding crossing routes
The End Goal: Technological Sovereignty
This isn’t just about surveillance.
This is about independence.
"The cooperation between Immigration, ITB, and PT DI is our effort to ensure that state sovereignty surveillance does not depend on foreign systems," Hendarsam stated.
"By securing unofficial routes with cyber technology and domestic aerial patrols, we can minimize gaps for TPPO perpetrators and illegal crossers. At the same time, we actualize sustainable national technological independence."
_#Imigrasi #ITB #PagarDigital #Drone #Perbatasan #Kedaulatan #WartaGlobal_
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