The leadership of ITS and AAL after a joint discussion to explore cooperation in opening a Drone Warfare Study Center in the ITS Chancellor’s Office.

ITS Campus, ITS News — The Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) is exploring strategic collaboration opportunities with the Indonesian Naval Academy (AAL) in developing a Drone Warfare Study Center as an effort to strengthen national defense technology independence. The exploration took place during a courtesy visit by AAL officials to the ITS Rector’s Office in the ITS Rectorate Building on Thursday (February 26).

On this occasion, ITS Rector Prof. Dr. (HC) Ir. Bambang Pramujati, ST, MScEng, PhD, stated that the AAL visit was an extraordinary collaboration opportunity for ITS. “Moreover, ITS has many lecturers and experts involved in the drone world,” Bambang said.

Furthermore, Bambang stated that ITS also has the competencies and facilities to support this collaborative opportunity. “We have numerous research teams to support technology development, such as in robotics, automotive engineering, and so on,” said the ITS Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Indonesian Navy’s Naval Academy (AAL), First Admiral Dr. Asep Iwa Soemantri, SE, MM, MTrOpsla, emphasized that drone technology must continue to be developed in Indonesia, particularly for defense purposes. He believes this unmanned national defense technology is highly efficient.

Furthermore, the man familiarly known as Iwa emphasized that the strategic use of drones extends beyond military or defense use. They can also be applied to other sectors. “Other sectors, such as agriculture, also require drones,” he added.

He revealed that exploring collaboration opportunities between ITS and AAL would allow for the development of better technology, particularly in the military field. According to Iwa, ITS was chosen to collaborate on the opening of this drone warfare study center because it is considered to be very strong in the technology field. “Furthermore, ITS and AAL are located close together, making coordination easier,” he said.

Following a discussion on exploring collaboration at the ITS Rectorate Building, Iwa also had the opportunity to deliver a guest lecture to students from the ITS Information Technology Department on developing leadership skills at the ITS Tower 2 Auditorium. This activity marked the first step in ITS’s strategic partnership with AAL, specifically in supporting the development of superior human resources.

This collaboration opportunity between ITS and AAL can realize ITS’s commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly point 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and point 17 on Partnerships to Achieve the Goals. Furthermore, the guest lecture from AAL supports point 4 on Quality Education. (ITS Public Relations)

Reporter: Asher Yedijah Hoesono