Andika Dwi, Jakarta – The Indonesian Military (TNI) is gearing up for Super Garuda Shield 2024, a large-scale multi-country military exercise scheduled from August 26 to September 5, 2024.
TNI spokesperson, Major General Nugraha Gumilar, said this year's iteration will see the TNI collaborate with the armed forces of 19 friendly countries, including confirmed participants such as the United States, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. The possibility of China's participation is still under discussion.
"It's still being discussed," Nugraha told reporters at the TNI Headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta on Wednesday, July 3.
As the host nation, Indonesia has designated three locations for the exercise: Situbondo in East Java, Karawang in West Java, and Baturaja in South Sumatra.
"[The planned exercises include] landing exercises on Situbondo Beach, East Java, parachute drops in Karawang, and live-fire drills in Baturaja," he explained. However, the final details are still being finalized.
Beyond strengthening international cooperation, Super Garuda Shield aims to foster self-reliance in regional defense among participating nations. "It's about building defense together," the two-star general remarked.
Incident during previous exercise
During a previous Super Garuda Shield exercise held in Karawang, West Java, a US Army soldier named William Walker tragically died. Assigned to the US Army Aviation Office, he went missing while scouting a training location in Karanganyar Village, Klari, on April 22, 2024. Walker was participating in a parachute landing exercise at the time.