Indo-Indonesia Joint Training Exercise Garuda Shakti IV begins

The fourth edition of the India-Indonesia Joint Training Exercise Garuda Shakti has begun at Magelang in Indonesia.
The 13 days (till 23 March) bilateral exercise aims at (i) Building and promoting positive relations between the Armies of India and Indonesia. (ii) Enhancing their abilities to undertake joint tactical level operations in a counter insurgency environment under United Nations Charter.
Key facts

• In the 4th edition of the joint exercise Indian Army platoon strength contingent will carry out cross training with a platoon from the Airborne battalion of the Indonesian Army.
• The Indian Contingent has been trained for combat conditioning, firing, tactical operations, tactical skills and special heliborne operations training.
• Selected Indian unit has had varied operational experience in Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorist operations in the Northern, Western and Eastern theatres.
• The exercise will be conducted as joint Counter Insurgency operations exercise in urban and rural scenario and various facets of tactical Counter Insurgency operations (CIO).
• Both countries will share their experience of CIO and also the ambit of identifying areas of expertise, evolution of combat tactical drills of tactical and to undertake combined training for neutralization of insurgency threat.

Background
Indo-Indonesia Joint Training Exercise Garuda Shakti is conducted as part of military diplomacy between armies of both countries alternatively in India and Indonesia respectively.
The first edition bilateral exercise was conducted on a reciprocal basis in 2012 in India. The second edition was conducted in Indonesia in 2013 and third in India in 2014.

Month: Current Affairs - March, 2016