Prabowo's Photo Unfurled Mid-Air at Independence Day Celebration

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August 17, 2026 | 03:07 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's 81st Independence Day celebrations saw soldiers jumping 10,000 feet with a parachute. On Monday, August 17, seventeen parachutists from the Indonesian National Armed Forces' Special Forces Command (Kopassus) gathered close in a mid-air formation before landing on the National Monument field across from the Palace.

While in the air, the parachutists unfurled a 12 x 8 meter red and white flag as well as a giant photo of President Prabowo Subianto.

"Unfurled with great honor, the flag depicting the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Bapak Prabowo Subianto," said the host during a live broadcast of the ceremony on the official YouTube account of the Presidential Secretariat.

While it was happening, the host read out Prabowo's career in the armed forces, stating that Kopassus' paratroopers unit broke a parachuting record under Prabowo's leadership.

The paratroopers participating in the 81st Indonesian Independence Day commemoration in Jakarta flew aboard a CN295 aircraft from Air Squadron 2 at Halim Perdanakusuma Air Force Base, Jakarta. The aircraft was flown by Lieutenant Colonel Ari Purba Kusuma.

Meanwhile, the flag-hoisting ceremony today was led by President Prabowo, while VP Gibrran Rakabuming Raka was seen in attendance.

A number of Red and White Cabinet ministers did not attend the ceremony, as they will be holding one in the quake-hit region of NTT.

"There are ministers and deputy ministers from the Red and White Cabinet who will be holding the ceremony outside of Jakarta," Prasetyo said at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, this morning.

Read: Will Prabowo Visit Earthquake-Hit NTT Soon?

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