The world’s eyes are on Indonesia this week as Jakarta and Sumatra play host to the largest-ever Super Garuda Shield military exercises, a sprawling display of multinational defense cooperation that comes amid rising tensions and shifting alliances in the Indo-Pacific. The drills, which began on Monday, August 25, 2025, and will run until September 4, have drawn some 6,500 troops from 13 participating nations, with another 11 countries sending observers—a testament to the region’s growing strategic importance and the urgent need for trust and deterrence in uncertain times.
This year marks a significant milestone for the annual exercises, which started as a bilateral affair between the United States and Indonesia in 2009 but have steadily grown in scale and ambition. According to the South China Morning Post, more than 4,100 Indonesian troops and 1,300 American forces are joined by contingents from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Brazil, Singapore, and South Korea. Observers from India, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor are also in attendance, reflecting the wide-reaching interest in the region’s security architecture.
The exercises unfold across Jakarta, the Riau archipelago, and Sumatra, with key locations like Dabo Singkep in the Riau Islands and Baturaja in South Sumatra hosting fire and agility drills involving both army and air forces. The Indonesian military has also announced staff exercises, cyber defense drills, and a climactic live-fire event to round out the 11-day program. This year’s edition is not only the largest but also the most complex, with a notable first: Japan has deployed its air and naval defense forces in addition to its army, underscoring the deepening ties between Tokyo, Jakarta, and Washington.
At a reception held on Sunday evening at Tanjung Priok Port in North Jakarta—where the Japanese tank-landing ship JS Osumi docked—Japan’s ambassador to Indonesia, Yasushi Masaki, highlighted the significance of his country’s expanded role. “This opportunity will further enhance the deterrence and response capacities of the Japan-US alliance in Indonesia,” Masaki said, as reported by The Jakarta Post. For both Japan and the United States, Indonesia’s strategic location at the crossroads of key maritime routes makes it a pivotal partner in maintaining regional stability.
The United States, for its part, has been eager to showcase both its commitment to allies and its vision for a “free and open Indo-Pacific.” Peter M. Haymond, chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Jakarta, emphasized the deeper purpose of the drills: “But perhaps more importantly, these exercises are about building trust between partner nations, trust that when the crisis comes, we’ll be able to know who to call and how to work together to effectively protect the security of our peoples and the region.”
Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, described the 2025 Super Garuda Shield as the “biggest ever,” noting that personnel would train together across all domains—including the increasingly vital realm of cyber defense. At the opening ceremony, Paparo declared, “It represents deterring anyone that would hope to change the facts on the ground using violence with the collective determination of all participants to uphold the principles of sovereignty.” He added, “If the unforgiving hour comes when we need each other as partners, we pick up the phone, operating from a basis of deep trust.”
For Indonesia, the drills are a delicate balancing act. The country has long maintained a policy of neutrality amid the superpower rivalry between the US and China, seeking to avoid direct confrontation while still building its own defense capacity and deepening cooperation with a range of partners. “It serves as a joint exercise where we stand together to respond every challenge quickly and precisely,” said Armed Forces Deputy Commander Tandyo Budi Revita, echoing the sentiment at the heart of Indonesia’s approach. Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, a foreign policy analyst, put it succinctly: “This dual-track diplomacy might seem inconsistent. But for Jakarta, it is strategic. Indonesia is embracing defense diversification, not alignment.”
Yet, the context in which these exercises take place cannot be ignored. The United States and several allies, notably Australia, have voiced growing concern over what they describe as China’s increasing assertiveness in the Pacific—especially in the contested waters of the South China Sea. Jakarta itself has been rattled by what it perceives as Chinese intrusion into its exclusive economic zone, even as it continues to maintain broadly favorable relations with Beijing and seeks to keep tensions private.
China, for its part, has made its displeasure clear. According to AFP and The Express, Beijing has accused Washington of attempting to create an “Asian NATO” in order to contain its growing military and diplomatic influence. The expanded scope of Super Garuda Shield has only heightened these anxieties. In a recent speech in Singapore, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of the risks of relying on Chinese economic support while seeking US military backing, a message aimed at reassuring allies concerned by Beijing’s pressure and provocative maneuvers.
Despite this, Indonesian officials have repeatedly stressed that the exercises are not directed at any one country, least of all China. Major General Kristomei Sianturi, spokesperson for the Indonesian Military (TNI), stated that the joint military exercise “has never been intended to deter China’s presence in the region, but rather serves to increase cooperation and military capabilities among participating countries.” The focus, officials insist, is on modernization, interoperability, and the ability to respond collectively to a range of regional challenges—from natural disasters to cyber threats.
This spirit of partnership is reflected in the diversity of the participants and the complexity of the drills. As Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura, chief of staff of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, explained, “Japan will continue to visit the Southeast Asia region, taking every opportunity to contribute to the stability in this region and we will make an effort to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Indonesia’s strategy of defense diversification—purchasing arms from the US and France, developing interoperability with Western militaries, and maintaining robust economic ties with China—may seem contradictory on the surface. But in a region defined by great power rivalry, this refusal to choose sides could well be its greatest asset. As Rakhmat noted, “In a region defined by rising tensions and great power rivalry, Indonesia’s refusal to choose sides, at least in defense, might be its strongest asset.”
As Super Garuda Shield 2025 heads toward its conclusion with a joint live-fire drill on September 4, the message from Jakarta is clear: in an unpredictable world, cooperation, trust, and flexibility are the keys to regional security. The drills may not resolve the underlying strategic competition, but they do offer a powerful reminder that, when the stakes are high, nations can still find common ground.