Overview

• The exercises run Aug. 25 to Sept. 4 in Jakarta, Sumatra and the Riau archipelago, concluding with a combined live-fire event.
• More than 4,100 Indonesian and about 1,300 U.S. troops are joined by forces from roughly a dozen partner nations, with overall participation reported near 6,500.
• Planned activities include staff exercises, cyber defense training and multilateral field drills to sharpen interoperability.
• U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said this is the largest Super Garuda Shield to date and cast it as a deterrent signal supporting national sovereignty.
• China criticized the expanded drills as an attempt to build an “Asian NATO,” while Indonesia underscores a neutral foreign policy that balances ties with Washington and Beijing.