Subang, July 10, 2025 — PT DAHANA, a state-owned explosives company under the defense industry holding company DEFEND ID, welcomed a high-level delegation from the Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) at DAHANA’s Energetic Material Center (EMC) in Subang, West Java.
The delegation was led by Undersecretary Salvador Melchor B. Mison Jr., who oversees Acquisition and Resource Management, and Undersecretary Rene S. Diaz, who is responsible for Defense Technology Research and Industry Development. They were accompanied by military and technical officials from the Philippines. This visit was facilitated by the Directorate General of Defense Potential (Ditjen Pothan) of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense and attended by officials from Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense, including Colonel Kav. S. Iskandar, S.I.P., Head of the Cooperation Program Sub-directorate within the Directorate General of Defense.
The visit began with an official welcome from Yusep Nugraha, Director of Technology and Development at PT DAHANA. In his remarks, Mr Nugraha emphasized the significance of building strategic collaboration in the defense sector between Indonesia and the Philippines, highlighting their longstanding ties as friendly nations and fellow members of ASEAN.
“We are honored to receive this visit,” Mr Nugraha stated. “For us, it is not merely a ceremonial occasion, but a crucial moment to pave the way for strategic cooperation, including joint research, technology transfer, and the development of a more independent and competitive regional defense industry.”
During his presentation, Mr Nugraha shared the history of PT DAHANA, a pioneer in the Indonesian explosives industry that originated from an Air Force project in Tasikmalaya in 1966. Following its relocating to Subang in 2012, DAHANA has rapidly expanded and now operates the EMC, the largest integrated explosives center in Southeast Asia.
Since 2022, PT DAHANA has been part of DEFEND ID, a national defense industry holding company composed of five strategic state-owned enterprises: PT LEN Industri, PT PINDAD, PT PAL Indonesia, PT Dirgantara Indonesia, and PT DAHANA, which focuses on explosives and energetic materials. DEFEND ID was established to strengthen industrial consolidation, increase local content, and elevate the Indonesian defense industry on the global stage.
DAHANA is recognized not only in commercial sectors such as mining and construction but is also actively involved in developing strategic military products, including the P-Live aerial bomb designed for Sukhoi aircraft, land-based rocket launchers, and participation in the RHAN-122B and RHAN-450 rocket consortiums.
Following the welcome, the Philippine delegation engaged in discussions with DAHANA management to explore potential collaborative efforts, particularly in the development of explosives technology for both military and commercial applications. This dialogue included opportunities for joint development, capacity building in human resources, and integration into the regional supply chain.
The delegation then toured the Ring 1 production area and observed the product quality testing process at the Nonel Factory. After the visit, souvenirs were exchanged as a symbol of friendship and commitment to collaboration between the two parties.
“We hope this visit marks the beginning of a long-term, mutually beneficial, and strategic relationship aimed at creating a resilient and highly competitive defense ecosystem in the region,” Mr Nugraha concluded.
This visit was part of the Philippine DND Delegation’s official tour of the Indonesian defense industry, which also included visits to PT PINDAD and PT Dirgantara Indonesia in Bandung.
