Indonesia hosts largest joint combat military drills

ISTANBUL

Indonesia on Monday launched the largest multinational combat military drills, including participants from the US.

The 11-day Super Garuda Shield 2025 “strengthens interoperability, trust and defense cooperation of friendly countries” in the region, said the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) in a brief statement on US social media company X.

Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, who leads Indo-Pacific Command of the US, also attended the opening ceremony of the exercise.

The US command said exercises like Super Garuda Shield “enhance combat readiness and interoperability among allies and partners in the free and open” region.

Since 2009, the drills have been held between Indonesian and American soldiers annually. The joint exercises were expanded in 2022 to bring in soldiers from Australia, Japan, Singapore, the UK, France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil and South Korea.

Some 6,500 soldiers are participating in the drills.

The drills are scheduled to end on Sept. 4 with live-fire drills in Jakarta.