An Indian Army contingent of Special Forces personnel departed on Sunday, 25 October 2026, for Banyuwangi, Indonesia, to take part in the 12th edition of Exercise Garuda Shakti, the flagship bilateral military exercise between India and Indonesia. The drill is designed to sharpen interoperability between the two armies in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations across jungle terrain.

What Exercise Garuda Shakti Involves

According to an official Indian Army statement, the exercise will facilitate the exchange of tactics, techniques, and procedures for special operations in jungle environments under both counter-insurgency (CI) and counter-terrorism (CT) scenarios. The Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information confirmed the departure in a post on X, describing the exercise as a vehicle to 'enhance interoperability' between the two nations' forces.

Now in its 12th edition, Garuda Shakti has steadily evolved into one of the more substantive India-ASEAN bilateral drills, reflecting the growing strategic convergence between New Delhi and Jakarta across land and maritime domains.

Maritime Cooperation Running in Parallel

The army exercise coincides with a broader India-Indonesia maritime engagement. Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaunak undertook a goodwill visit to Jakarta from 17–19 October 2026, during which the Commanding Officer called on the Ambassador of India to Indonesia and the Chief of Indonesia Coast Guard. The visit featured professional interactions aimed at bolstering bilateral maritime cooperation and enhancing regional maritime security, according to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

Separately, the Commanding Officer of ICGS Shaunak and the Defence Attaché called on the head of Bakamla — Indonesia's maritime security agency — to discuss augmenting bilateral Coast Guard cooperation. The Indian Embassy in Indonesia noted that the Indian Coast Guard and Bakamla had renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Maritime Safety and Security Cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Indonesia from 6–8 July 2026.

High-Level Political Momentum Behind the Ties

The military-to-military activities are unfolding against a backdrop of elevated diplomatic engagement. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, reaffirming that the two sides would continue strengthening their partnership across multiple sectors.

During his New Delhi visit, President Subianto also attended the BRICS Summit hosted under India's chairship, participated in a joint tree plantation initiative, and joined the gala dinner hosted by Prime Minister Modi for visiting heads of state at Bharat Mandapam.

Strategic Significance for the Region

India and Indonesia share the strategic Indo-Pacific as maritime neighbours, and their defence cooperation has gained pace as both countries deepen engagement with Quad, ASEAN, and BRICS frameworks. The combination of a joint army exercise, a Coast Guard port call, and a renewed MoU within a short window signals that the bilateral defence architecture is being reinforced at multiple levels simultaneously. Analysts note that jungle-terrain CT drills hold particular relevance given shared concerns over transnational terrorism and non-state actors operating in island and forested environments across Southeast Asia.

With the 12th Garuda Shakti now underway, both armies are expected to conclude the exercise with a joint validation drill before the contingent returns to India.