13-11-2024 (JAKARTA) More than 2,000 military personnel from Indonesia and Australia launched significant joint military exercises on Wednesday, marking a new chapter in defence cooperation between the two nations following their recent security agreement aimed at addressing emerging challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.
The four-day “Keris Woomera” exercise, taking place on Indonesia’s Java island, represents Australia’s largest overseas military drill this year. The comprehensive operation encompasses air, land, sea, and cyber warfare components, demonstrating the expanding scope of bilateral military collaboration.
In a show of combined military capability, forces executed an amphibious landing on eastern Java’s coastline, supported by an impressive array of military hardware including tanks, naval vessels, fighter aircraft, landing craft, and assault helicopters in a coordinated live-fire demonstration.
The exercises follow the August signing of a landmark security agreement, which Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto hailed as a “historic milestone” in bilateral relations. The pact facilitates joint military operations and reciprocal deployments, reflecting growing strategic alignment between the neighbouring nations.
However, Indonesia’s diplomatic balancing act was evident in its recent military engagements with Russia off Java’s eastern coast and President Prabowo’s diplomatic visits to both Beijing and Washington, underscoring Jakarta’s commitment to maintaining neutrality among global powers.
The strategic partnership emerges against a backdrop of increasing regional tensions, particularly in the South China Sea, where territorial disputes have intensified among multiple nations. While Australia has strengthened its alliance with the United States and adopted a more assertive stance toward China, Indonesia has maintained a more measured approach, carefully balancing relations between competing global powers.
