Indonesia and the United States launched the annual Super Garuda Shield military exercise on Monday, joined by 6,500 troops from 12 nations, including Australia, Japan, Singapore, the UK, France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea, with observers from India, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor. Hosted by the Indonesian National Armed Forces at Jakarta’s Naval Command and Staff College and extending to Sumatra and the Riau archipelago until September 4, the 11-day drill aims to bolster regional ties amid rising geopolitical tensions, particularly in the South China Sea.

General Tandyo Budi Revita, Deputy Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, emphasized the exercise’s role in enabling rapid, precise responses to regional challenges. Admiral Samuel Paparo, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief, stated, “It represents deterring anyone that would hope to change the facts on the ground using violence,” underscoring collective commitment to sovereignty. The program includes staff exercises, cyber defense drills, airborne and amphibious operations, and a live-fire event, enhancing interoperability across land, sea, air, and cyberspace domains.

Initiated in 2007 as a bilateral U.S.-Indonesia exercise, Super Garuda Shield expanded in 2022 to include multinational forces, reflecting Indonesia’s growing strategic importance. Jakarta navigates a delicate balance, expressing concerns over Chinese activities in its exclusive economic zone while maintaining economic ties with Beijing. Researchers Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Yeta Purnama from CELIOS noted Indonesia’s “dual-track diplomacy” as strategic, avoiding alignment amid U.S.-China rivalry.

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China has criticized the drills as an attempt to form an “Asian NATO,” a charge U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth countered by highlighting strengthened Indo-Pacific alliances to address Beijing’s assertive actions. Posts on X, such as from @Jatosint, detailed U.S. equipment arrivals in Lampung, signaling robust logistical coordination. Indonesia’s commitment to the exercise, alongside U.S. and French arms purchases, underscores its defense diversification strategy.

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