Military services from the United States, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and France have started with the Super Garuda Shield 2023 at multiple training locations in Indonesia from August 31 to September 13, 2023.
Additional observing nations during the exercises include Brunei, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Republic of Korea, and Timor Leste.
Super Garuda Shield is the largest military exchange each year between the United States and Indonesia, with this year’s iteration expanding upon the number of participating nations.
While, the US and Indonesian soldiers have held the live-fire drill since 2009; Australia, Japan and Singapore joined last year.
The United Kingdom and French forces are participating in this year’s Super Garuda Shield exercises, with a total of about 5,000 personnel.
Noteworthy, approximately 2,100 U.S. and 1,900 Indonesian TNI service members from across multiple military branches will enhance interoperability capabilities through training and cultural exchanges.
This exercise continues to solidify the U.S.-Indonesia Major Defense Partnership and advances cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
With professional training and combat exercises taking place in Surabaya and Banyuwangi, Super Garuda Shield 2023 strengthens the U.S.-Indonesian defense partnership through cooperative learning and enhanced trust among the two militaries.
Further, training includes expert academic exchanges and professional development workshops, a command and control simulation, an amphibious exercise, airborne operations, an airfield seizure exercise, and a combined joint field training that culminates with a live fire event.
The command post exercise will focus on mission planning staff tasks in a combined military setting.
A field training exercise will involve battalion-strength elements from each nation exercising war-fighting skills to enhance interoperability and combined operational capacity.
This joint, multinational training exercise displays the collective commitment of all the participating nations and like-minded unity, allowing for a stable, secure, and more peaceful, free and open Indo-Pacific.
