Indonesia and the US have commenced the annual Super Garuda Shield military exercises, running through September 4 and spanning Jakarta, Sumatra, and the Riau archipelago. This year’s drills include over 4,100 Indonesian troops and 1,300 US personnel, joined by forces from 11 allied nations such as Australia, Japan, Singapore, France, New Zealand, and the UK. The large-scale exercise underscores the growing emphasis on security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific amid concerns about China’s assertiveness. While Washington stresses the drills are not aimed directly at Beijing, the training reinforces deterrence and demonstrates multinational readiness in the region.
