Indonesia and the United States launched annual joint military exercises alongside forces from more than a dozen other countries, as Washington pushes its partners to take regional security threats more seriously.
Hosted by the Indonesian National Armed Forces in Jakarta and locations on Sumatra island and the Riau archipelago, this year’s Super Garuda Shield runs through September 4. The 11-day combat exercise involves 6,500 troops, according to Associated Press reporting, bringing together 4,100 Indonesian and 1,300 American personnel alongside contingents from Australia, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea.
Gen. Tandyo Budi Revita, the Indonesian military’s Deputy Commander, said during the kick-off ceremony that the drills serve “as a joint exercise where we stand together to respond every challenge quickly and precisely.” He spoke alongside Admiral Samuel Paparo, the Commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Paparo described the expanded participation as a symbol of a commitment to partnership and national sovereignty through mutual respect.
“It represents deterring anyone that would hope to change the facts on the ground using violence with the collective determination of all participants to uphold the principles of sovereignty,” Paparo said at the opening ceremony, according to the Associated Press. He added that the maneuvers mark the largest iteration of Super Garuda Shield to date, noting they help participating nations build deep trust and operational interoperability across all domains.
## Diplomatic Balance and Regional Friction
The annual drills take place as Jakarta attempts to navigate competing pressures from Washington and Beijing. While Indonesia maintains a neutral foreign policy that it terms “free and active,” the Southeast Asian nation has expressed growing concern regarding Chinese encroachment inside its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea. At the same time, Jakarta continues to pursue extensive trade and economic partnerships with China.
According to researchers Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat and Yeta Purnama from the Center of Economic and Law Studies, Indonesia’s approach relies on dual-track diplomacy rather than alignment.
“This dual-track diplomacy might seem inconsistent. But for Jakarta, it is strategic. Indonesia is embracing defense diversification, not alignment,” Rakhmat told the Associated Press, noting that the country continues purchasing U.S. and French military hardware while maintaining economic ties with Beijing.
The defense exercises have previously drawn criticism from Beijing, which has accused the United States of attempting to establish an “Asian NATO” to curb China’s regional influence. The current maneuvers also follow a recent joint navy drill between Indonesia and China that was labeled a “provocation” by Taiwan.
## Scope of Operations
The 2024 program includes staff exercises, cyber defense drills, and a combined live-fire event scheduled for the conclusion of the exercises on September 4, according to the Indonesian military and Associated Press reports. In addition to the participating nations, countries including India, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor dispatched observers to monitor the operations.
