Indian, Indonesian troops begin special operations exercise

A joint military exercise involving troops from India and Indonesia began on Tuesday, with the drill focusing on tactics, techniques, and procedures for special operations in jungle environments, air assault training, and combat-hardening sessions, officials said.

The 11th edition of the India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise Garuda Shakti began in Banyuwangi, Indonesia, and will continue until November 6.

The joint training will culminate with a validation exercise designed to simulate realistic operational scenarios and assess the endurance, coordination and combat readiness of both contingents, the officials said.

The Indian contingent comprises troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), while the Indonesian contingent has personnel from the Indonesian Special Forces.

The exercise aims to strengthen mutual understanding, cooperation and interoperability between the special forces of the two nations, the defence ministry said in a statement.

“The training focuses on tactics, techniques and procedures for special operations in jungle environments, including obstacle crossing, combat marksmanship, mountaineering, air assault training and combat-hardening sessions,” it said.

The exercise will further strengthen defence cooperation and bilateral relations between India and Indonesia, the ministry said.