India, Indonesia joint training exercise Garuda Shakti IV began at Magelang

The fourth edition of the joint exercise Garuda Shakti between India and Indonesia commenced on 10 March 2016 at Magelang, Indonesia.

The joint training exercise will see an Indian Army platoon strength contingent carrying out cross training with a platoon from the Airborne battalion of the Indonesian Army. The selected Indian unit has had varied operational experience in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorist operations in the Northern, Western and Eastern theatres.

The Garuda Shakti IV will be a 13 days long exercise, which will conclude on 23 March 2016 at Magelang.

Features of Garuda Shakti IV

• The exercise is being conducted as joint Counter Insurgency operations exercise in urban and rural scenario and encompass various facets of tactical Counter Insurgency operations.

• The aim of the exercise is to build and promote positive relations between the armies of India and Indonesia and to enhance the ability of Indian and Indonesian Army to undertake joint tactical level operations in a Counter Insurgency environment under United Nations Charter.

• The scope encompasses visualization of insurgency related crisis situation in rural/urban setting in Counter Insurgency environment, learn each other's Counter Insurgency doctrines, tactics and share experience of Counter Insurgency operations.

• It also includes the ambit of identifying areas of expertise/specialization of each other, evolution of combat tactical drills for conduct of tactical Counter Insurgency operations and to undertake combined training for neutralization of insurgency threat.

About Garuda Shakti

• Indo-Indonesia Joint Training Exercise Garuda Shakti is conducted as part of military diplomacy between Indian and Indonesian Army alternatively in India and Indonesia respectively.

• The exercise is conducted on a reciprocal basis and its first edition was conducted in the year 2012 in India.

• The second edition was conducted in Indonesia in 2013 and third in India in 2014.

• The exercise is aimed at building and promoting positive relations between the two Armies of India and Indonesia.

Background

• To coordinate modalities of training of the exercise, an Exercise Planning Conference was held at Yogyakarta, Indonesia on 22 September and 23 September 2015.

• During the conference, both Armies finalized the modalities of conduct of joint training and signed an agreement.

• The operational part of the exercise commenced with individual Armies training in respective countries and this would translate in exchange of expertise during the Joint Training Exercise in Indonesia.

• The opening ceremony for the exercise was conducted on 11 March 2016 at Magelang, Indonesia.

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