Pacific Perspective:Super Garuda Shield 2023

Exercise Super Garuda Shield 2023 began on 31 August and runs till 13 September 2023.Nations fully participating include:Australia,France,Indonesia,Japan,Singapore,the UK and the US.Observers from several other countries will also be present for the drills:Bruneij,Brazil,Canada,Germany,India,Malaysia,the Netherlands,New Zealand,Papua New Guinea,Republic of Korea and Timor Leste.The exercise is focused on obtaining a stable,secure and more peaceful,free and open Indo-Pacific,said General Charles Flynn,commanding general,U.S. Army Pacific.About 2100 US and 1900 Indonesian TNI service members,out of a total of 5,000 international troops, across multiple service branches will enhance interoperability through training and cultural exchanges,U.S. Embassy Jakarta said in a news release.* The drills,through professional training and combat exercises,will take place in Surabaya and Banyuwortigi,East Java,Indonesia,strengthening the US-Indonesia defence partnership through cooperative learning and enhanced trust.The training involves expert academic exchanges and professional development workshops;a Command and Control simulation;an amphibious drill;airborne operations practise;an airfield seizure exercise;and a combined joint field training culminating in a live-fire event.* Furthermore,a command post drill will focus on mission planning staff in a combined military setting.Field training will feature battalion strength elements from each nation,exercising warfighting skills to enhance interoperability and combat operational capacity.* Said Royal New Zealand Army Colonel Paul Heyward,deputy commander of U.S. 25th Infantry Division,which is providing most of the US Soldiers:This year we are seeing significant expansion,not only across participating nations,but in the depth and complexity of the training we are conducting across Indonesia,the Stars and Stripes newspaper reported.* Paratroopers from the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division will also participate.The USS Green Bay (LPD 20),a San Antonio-class amphibious dock out of Naval Base Sasebo,Japan will augment the Forces.Designed to transport elements of a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU),it is armed with 2x30 mm Bushmaster cannon and 2 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers,as well as 10 .50 caliber machine guns both fore and aft.The Green Bay carries aircraft such as the MV-22B Osprey tilt rotor aircraft;CH53E Super Stallion helicopter;MV-22B Osprey tilt rotor aircraft;CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters;and AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom attack helicopters.The Green Bay also carries Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) or Landing Craft Utility (LCU) and Amphibious Assault Vehicles.