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The United States and the Indonesian armed forces are conducting the largest multinational military exercise Super Garuda Shield in Indonesia. More than 5,500 combined national forces, including 2,500 U.S. service members are participating in this year’s exercise.

Super Garuda Shield is an annual military exercise between the forces of Indonesia and the United States. Both countries have been conducting joint drills since 2006 and the exercise has expanded to include other partner countries.

The opening ceremony of Super Garuda Shield 2024 was held at Juanda Naval Air Base Surabaya in Indonesia on Aug. 26, 2024. The ceremony was attended the U.S. and Indonesian military officials, including U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph R. Harris II and Indonesia’s Air Vice Marshal Widyargo Ikoputra.

This year’s Super Garuda Shield exercise involves service members from the United States, Indonesia, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition to the participating nations, twelve nations are taking part in the exercise as observers.

Exercise Super Garuda Shield bolsters the U.S.-Indonesia defense partnership as outlined in the Defense Cooperation Arrangement, promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region. It enhances the ability of participating nations to securely and seamlessly exchange data across geographical, political, and organizational boundaries.

Super Garuda Shield 2024 is a multilateral military exercise integrating 22 countries for security operations, staff exercises, and joint and combined field training exercises that secure peace and stability in the #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific. pic.twitter.com/3KC9R01n3j

— U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (@INDOPACOM) August 31, 2024

The exercise is aimed at strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region and integrating 22 participating nations for security operations, staff exercises, and joint and combined field training exercises that secure peace and stability in the region, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement.

The U.S. National Guard statement highlighted, “Regular exercises and engagements with allies and partners are instrumental in cultivating civil-military cooperation, increasing emergency preparedness, and enhancing bilateral response capabilities.”

Chief of staff and commander of the Hawaii Air National Guard, Maj. Gen. Joseph R. Harris II said during the opening ceremony, “Every aspect of this year’s iteration of Super Garuda Shield should challenge us to collectively work together and achieve our training objectives.”

“I encourage all participants to take advantage of the excellent opportunities provided for professional and cultural exchanges … to use this opportunity to develop and grow relationships with your counterparts that will last a lifetime,” U.S. Maj. Gen. Joseph Harris added.

Deputy commander of Kodiklat, Tentara Nasional Indonesia, Air Vice Marshal Widyargo Ikoputra said the exercise was “a means to create and build mutual trust in the military sector, strengthen bilateral military-to-military relations and multilateral relations.”

The exercise started with academic exchanges between experts and professional development workshops. The second phase involves a command-and-control exercise and a joint field training exercise, and the final phase of the exercise involves a live-fire event.

The exercise also involves the joint strike of the RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launcher system, Astros self-propelled weapon system, and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

According to the U.S. National Guard statement, during the multinational exercise, service members from the allied nations will take part in a range of training activities, including airborne and amphibious operations, as well as information exchanges to enhance operability. The statement highlighted that the 2024 iteration of Super Garuda Shield will also feature a cyber exercise.