Super Garuda Shield
Under the auspices of the flags of 14 countries, the 16th annual Garuda Shield exercise, which is a milestone in the military partnership between the United States and Indonesia, officially opened on August 3, 2022.
This year's “Super Garuda Shield”, which is a development of a bilateral exercise between the Indonesian Army (AD) and the United States Army (U.S. Army), is one of the largest joint multinational exercises in the Indo-Pacific region.
The strong and diverse Super Garuda Shield 2022 features several “first-time” activities, such as a trilateral airdrop involving the United States, Indonesia and Japan, which was held this morning.
These multinational planning, operating, exchange and training activities enhance the military defense capabilities of participating nations and work together to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“When we are together like this, we are stronger,” said General Charles Flynn, US Army General Commander for the Pacific. "Together as a multinational force, Garuda Shield is a very important manifestation of our cooperation, interoperability and unity as a group of countries that want to create a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and maintain a rule-based order."
The opening ceremony featured the joint force formation, highlighting multinational interoperability and partnerships.
More than 4,000 joint troops, including first-time participating nations such as Australia, Singapore and the Japan Self Defense Force, will support the exercise.
Other participating countries include Canada, France, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the United Kingdom.
The commander of the 7th Infantry Division and chief executive of the 2022 Super Garuda Shield, Major General Stephen Smith, welcomed the opportunity to train with US partners.
“This Indonesian-led exercise has grown in scope and scale. Every moment we develop readiness together becomes a good opportunity for all of us in this region," said Smith.
"This development shows the importance of this exercise and how participating countries view this area as an area of influence in the Indo-Pacific region," he added.
Super Garuda Shield 2022 will feature field and maritime exercises which include amphibious exercises, maritime security exercises, military operation exercises in urban areas, air defense exercises, air operations, and airfield seizure exercises.
Other exercises planned include a command post exercise, which will allow troops to train their ability to plan, give commands, and communicate with each other in a simulated operational environment.