DistantNews
Support us
🇹🇼 Taiwan /Conflict & Security

U.S. and Indonesia launch Super Garuda Shield exercise with nearly 5,000 troops from 15 countries

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • The United States and Indonesia began the annual Super Garuda Shield exercise on Aug. 31, the first joint drill since signing a new defense partnership this year.
  • Nearly 5,000 troops from 15 countries are taking part in exercises across several Indonesian regions through Sept. 11.
  • The drills combine combat and cyber-defense training with humanitarian disaster-response exercises, reflecting Indonesia’s exposure to earthquakes, landslides, wildfires and other hazards.

Nearly 5,000 troops from 15 countries are taking part in Super Garuda Shield, an annual U.S.-Indonesia military exercise that opened on Aug. 31.

This year’s drills mark the first joint exercise since Washington and Jakarta signed a new defense partnership. Training covers tactical airborne operations, Stinger missile firing, jungle warfare, infiltration, maritime maneuvering and cyber defense. The exercise will continue through Sept. 11 at several locations in Indonesia, with Japan, South Korea, Australia and Canada among the participating countries.

At the opening ceremony in Bandung, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Patrick Ellis said the exercise would help build the personnel needed to maintain security in the Indo-Pacific. “We are not just gathering for another annual training cycle, we are writing a historic new chapter in the bilateral relationship,” he said.

Indonesia maintains a non-aligned foreign policy. President Prabowo Subianto has pledged to remain friendly with all countries and balance relations between the United States and China. Earlier this month, Indonesia also agreed to strengthen military ties with Beijing during visits by China’s foreign and defense ministers.

The exercise includes humanitarian disaster-response training, an emphasis that reflects Indonesia’s exposure to natural hazards. The country has about 17,000 islands and more than 100 active volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire. A magnitude 7.7 earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara on Aug. 15 killed more than 100 people. Wildfires also burned nearly 95,000 hectares in July, sending haze across affected areas, causing respiratory problems and forcing schools to close. The United States and Indonesia plan another exercise later this year, called Peace Garuda, focused on humanitarian aid, disaster relief and military cooperation.

We are not just gathering for another annual training cycle, we are writing a historic new chapter in the bilateral relationship.

— Patrick EllisThe U.S. Army major general made the remark at the opening ceremony in Bandung.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog