Optimization of Sea Defense Strategy Through Operation of the Hospital Auxiliary Vessel to Support National Defense

The dynamics of the strategic environment at the global, regional and national levels give rise to various types of threats, both military and non-military threats, encouraging to optimize the Indonesian Sea Defense Strategy (SDS) which has the characteristics of an archipelagic country. In accordance with peaceful conditions, the optimization of SDS is more appropriate if it is directed at the military operations other than war, which in this study focuses on the operation of Hospital Auxiliary Vessel (HAV). There were problems related to the ineffective HAV operation, because it was used for material transportation and border operations. Its operation doesn't provide public health services in isolated, frontier and outermost areas. The purpose of this study is to analyze and explain the implementation and to formulate strategies to optimize SDS through the operation of HAV in order to support national defense. The research used is descriptive qualitative with a phenomenological approach. The data were obtained from interviews at the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health and Indonesian Navy Headquarters. The results of the studied that SDS through the operation of HAV was implemented quite well, but the operating time often exceeded the initial plan due to the limited number of HAV and their crew. The conclusion from this research is necessary for optimization of SDS which is emphasized on the Sea Control Strategy in accordance with the strategy development on the ends, ways and means components.