Manado – US Marine Corps and Indonesian Air Force personnel attended on Tuesday the opening ceremony of the 10-day Cope West joint training exercise held by the two countries' militaries in Manado, North Sulawesi.
Held from Oct. 31 to Nov. 11, the Cope West exercise is the first time in 19 years of bilateral cooperation that fighter-to-fighter exercises have been held between the US and Indonesian air forces.
"US-Indonesia defense cooperation has never been stronger or more comprehensive than it is today, and we are proud to be Indonesia's top defense partner in joint exercises and other engagements," US charge d'affaires Brian McFeeters said at the ceremony.
Cope West is a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored, bilateral, tactical fighter-to-fighter exercise involving the US and Indonesian air forces.
The exercise is designed to advance interoperability between the US and Indonesia to allow for the exchange of techniques related to combined air operations specific to US and Indonesian aircraft, and to promote cooperation and unity of purpose, the US Embassy said in a statement on Tuesday.