Indonesia and U.S. Launch Annual Military Exercises

Reuters

U.S. soldiers take part in the Garuda Shield Joint Exercise 2021 in South Sumatra province, Indonesia.

The United States and Indonesia launched their annual joint military exercises on Monday, marking the first drills since the two countries announced a new defence partnership earlier this year.

The exercises include a wide range of activities, from tactical airborne operations and missile-firing exercises to jungle warfare training and cyber defence.

"Super Garuda Shield", held annually since 2006, will run until September 11 and include more than 4,700 personnel, with 13 other countries taking part including Japan, South Korea, Australia and Canada.

The exercises will be held across several regions of Indonesia and will include infiltration drills, Stinger missile firing, jungle warfare training and naval manoeuvres.

The latest edition follows the signing of a major defence cooperation agreement by the two countries’ defence ministers in April. Jakarta said the partnership would include U.S. support for Indonesia’s military modernisation efforts, as well as training for its armed forces.

"We are not just meeting for another annual training cycle. We are writing a historic new chapter in our bilateral relationship," Major General Patrick Ellis, U.S. Army Commanding General of the 4th Infantry Division, said in a speech opening the exercises in Bandung.

Indonesia has long pursued a non-aligned foreign policy, with President Prabowo Subianto pledging to maintain friendly relations with all countries and strengthen ties with both the United States and China.

Earlier this month, Indonesia agreed to deepen military cooperation with Beijing during a visit by China’s foreign and defence ministers.

The Super Garuda Shield exercises will also include humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes and landslides are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of around 17,000 islands and more than 100 active volcanoes located along the seismically active “Pacific Ring of Fire”. A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara earlier this month, killing more than 100 people.

Wildfires are another ongoing challenge for Indonesia. Fires burned nearly 95,000 hectares (234,750 acres) of land in July, almost twice the area affected during the previous six months. The resulting haze blanketed parts of the region, causing respiratory problems and prompting school closures.

Source: Reuters



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