Indonesia, US Lead Massive Asia-Pacific Military Drills with 11 Allies

Indonesia and the United States on Monday kicked off the “Super Garuda Shield” joint military exercises, bringing together troops from 11 allied nations for over a week of training aimed at reinforcing stability in the Asia-Pacific region. The drills, which run until September 4, are being held in Jakarta as well as various sites across Sumatra and the Riau Islands.

This year’s iteration marks the largest edition of the annual exercise, with over 4,100 Indonesian and 1,300 American personnel participating. Military contingents from countries including Australia, Japan, Singapore, France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom are also involved. While the U.S. and some allies have raised concerns over China’s growing influence in the Pacific, Washington maintains that the drills are not directed at Beijing.

At the opening ceremony, Admiral Samuel Paparo, head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, emphasized the significance of the exercise in strengthening collective deterrence. He highlighted that the drills are designed to build trust and readiness across all operational domains, should partners ever need to respond jointly in a crisis.

The joint activities include command-level coordination, cyber defence operations, and live-fire training, according to Indonesia’s military. Observers from nations such as India, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor are also attending. As the host, Indonesia continues to uphold a neutral foreign policy, seeking balanced relations with both the United States and China.