Indian, Indonesian special forces begin GARUDA SHAKTI 2026 validation exercise in East Java

Jakarta: In a major boost to India-Indonesia defence cooperation, both countries’ armies have begun the joint military GARUDA SHAKTI 2026 validation exercise in East Java on Tuesday.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta said the 48-hour exercise involving the Indian Army and the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) will test the troops’ ability to apply specialised combat skills in challenging operational conditions. It will also assess their endurance, tactical coordination, and decision-making under pressure, and prepare them to undertake complex joint missions.

“Special Forces of Indian Army and TNI-AD commenced the final validation exercise of GARUDA SHAKTI2026 in the harsh and unforgiving jungle terrain of East Java. The exercise spanning over 48 hours will test the troops on the skills they honed over the last week ranging from marksmanship, mountaineering, heli-borne operations, patrolling and combat tracking,” the Indian mission said.

“Operating in a realistic scenario, these elite troops will have to work together under demanding conditions that test their endurance, tactical coordination and decision-making – all under pressure. The validation exercise is aimed at cementing the gains accrued over this edition of GARUDA SHAKTI and foraying into complex joint missions together, as a team,” it added.

Earlier on Saturday, the armies of India and Indonesia undertook simulated combat tracking exercises in jungle terrain, as part of joint military exercise ‘Garud Shakti 2026’ in Indonesia’s Banyuwangi.

According to the Indian Embassy, the training focused on tracking and pursuing targets through specialised reading of the ground. The exercise also familiarised the elite forces of the Indian Army and the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) with the operational use of drones for surveillance, reconnaissance and situational awareness in dense jungle environments, combining traditional fieldcraft with specialised technologies.

“The art of ‘reading’ the jungle and ‘mastering’ the skies. Following the gains of Day 5, Special Forces of the Indian Army and TNI-AD undertook simulated combat tracking training in jungle terrain, aimed at pursuing a target’s trail by specialised reading of the ground. Troops also received training on operational employment of drones for surveillance, reconnaissance and situational awareness in dense jungles,” the Indian Embassy posted on X.

“Effectively, Day 6 exposed the elite forces to traditional fieldcraft and niche technologies, thus ensuring that no trail goes cold and no threat is left unaddressed,” it added.

The India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise Garuda Shakti commenced at Banyuwangi in Indonesia on October 27, with the Special Forces of the two nations set to train together in jungle warfare operations until November 6, the Ministry of Defence said.

The Indian contingent comprises troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), while the Indonesian side is represented by personnel from the Indonesian Special Forces.