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Garuda Shield expanded
Some may suspect that Super Garuda Shield is just another trick to contain China, but Indonesia has invited China to participate in other forms of cooperation.
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he annual Garuda Shield military exercise involving the United States and Indonesia has gotten bigger – and hopefully better – this year. Initially devised as an annual bilateral exercise between the US and the Indonesian Military (TNI) focusing on land warfare, the two-week exercise has broadened in scope and morphed into Super Garuda Shield. This year’s exercises commenced on Monday.
In 2021, Garuda Shield reached a milestone by having the most participants ever, with some 3,000 soldiers taking part. This year, there are some 2,000 personnel each from the US and Indonesia. Not only is the number of participants increasing, more branches of the military are joining in as well.
There are four services from the US and three services from Indonesia, covering the land, sea and air components of each military.
If the breadth of military services were not enough, this year’s Super Garuda Shield includes active participants and observers from other countries. Military personnel from Australia, Japan and Singapore are taking part in the exercise, while Canada, Timor Leste, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea and the United Kingdom are sending military observers.
We may credit Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Andika Perkasa with helping broaden the scope of the joint exercise. Last year, as the Army chief of staff, he also organized the largest Garuda Shield since its inception in 2009.
Andika’s initiative has helped Indonesia work better with partner countries to face increasingly complex threats to its territorial integrity. To better protect the nation and people, a strong defense system and military professionalism are key.
This year’s landmark exercise helps emphasize that Indonesia is working with all sides for the common interest and welfare, as the true manifestation of its “free and active” foreign policy. Economically, Indonesia is working closely with China, as with other partners, in numerous projects and trade blocs.
Some may suspect that Super Garuda Shield is just another trick to contain China, considering the country’s absence and the participation of US allies that belong to AUKUS and the Quad. The most senior US officer in Super Garuda Shield, Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Smith, dismissed such notions, saying the joint exercise was not meant as a threat to any particular country.
It was reported in December 2021 that China had sent a diplomatic note protesting the August 2021 bilateral Garuda Shield, saying it was destabilizing the region.
Nevertheless, Indonesia has been inviting China to participate in the biennial Komodo Multinational Exercise since 2014 despite unsettled territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The exercise involves the navies of dozens of countries.
We can say that Jakarta is applying its own good neighbor policy, akin to that of Beijing’s.
This again shows that Indonesia will continue to seek to balance its national interests amid the tug-of-war between great powers in the region. While Indonesia deeply desires a peaceful and prosperous region, it is ready to defend its territory.
