Garuda Shield: Indonesia, U.S to hold joint military exercises 

Indonesia and the United States will jointly conduct the annual Garuda Shield military exercise on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan from August 1st to 14th.

A senior U.S. military official said on Friday that some 4,000 soldiers mostly from Indonesia and the United States will participate in the exercise that underscores “the importance we place on a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”

The exercise will also involve troops from other countries including Singapore, Australia, and Japan, which is joining the drill for the first time.

The annual “Super Garuda Shield” exercise, which the United States called “significantly larger in scope and scale than previous exercises”, comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions with China over the latter’s growing assertiveness in the region.

No threat

Major General Stephen G. Smith, who will be directing operations on the ground in the exercise, told reporters in Jakarta on Friday that the drill should not be seen as a response to any tensions.

“This exercise is not a threat or should not be viewed as a threat to anybody, anywhere. This is a purely military-to-military exercise,” he said.

Tensions and rhetoric flared this week amid reports that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned to visit Taiwan as soon as August.

Also read: Japan to participate in Indonesia military exercises

U.S. President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping managed largely to steer clear of escalation in a call on Thursday, suggesting that neither side – preoccupied with economic woes at home – wants a fresh crisis across the Taiwan Strait.

Zainab Sa’id