In News:

Indonesia, in collaboration with the United States and allied nations, has launched the annual multinational military exercise “Super Garuda Shield 2025”. Initiated in 2009 as a bilateral drill between U.S. and Indonesian forces, the exercise has expanded significantly since 2022 to include multiple Indo-Pacific and Western partners.

Features of Super Garuda Shield 2025

• Organisers: Indonesian National Armed Forces and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
• Participants: Core members — Indonesia and the U.S.; Expanded members — Australia, Japan, Singapore, UK, France, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil, and South Korea.
• Scale: Around 6,500 troops.
• Duration & Location: 11 days, conducted in Jakarta and on Sumatra island.
• Activities: Joint combat training, interoperability drills across land, air, and maritime domains, and a combined live-fire exercise.
• Objectives:
  • Enhance interoperability and combat readiness.
  • Strengthen regional security cooperation.
  • Uphold sovereignty, territorial integrity, and collective deterrence.

Strategic Context

The Indo-Pacific is witnessing rising tensions due to China’s growing military assertiveness, especially in the South China Sea. Indonesia has expressed concern about Chinese encroachment in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), though it continues to maintain positive economic relations with Beijing.

The U.S., meanwhile, is reinforcing an “arc of alliances” to reassure partners against coercion and status quo changes by force. Washington views the expanded Garuda Shield as a demonstration of collective resolve to uphold sovereignty and deter aggression.

China, however, has criticised the exercise, calling it an attempt to build an “Asian NATO” to contain its influence.

Indonesia’s Diplomatic Balancing

• Indonesia follows a dual-track diplomacy — avoiding overt confrontation with China while diversifying its defence partnerships with the U.S. and Western powers.
• This includes arms purchases from the U.S. and France and enhancing interoperability with multiple militaries.
• Scholars note that Indonesia’s refusal to choose sides outright reflects its strategy of defence diversification without formal alignment.
• Such an approach is seen as a key asset for Jakarta in a region marked by great power rivalry.

Significance

• For Regional Security: Strengthens multinational defence cooperation, collective deterrence, and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
• For Indonesia: Demonstrates its role as a pivotal state capable of balancing economic ties with China while engaging in security cooperation with the West.
• For the World Order: Reflects the growing salience of multilateral military exercises in managing great power competition and reinforcing the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.