India Deepens Southeast Asia Military Ties as Joint Drills with Indonesia and Malaysia Gain Momentum

India has intensified its military diplomacy in Southeast Asia with back-to-back high-level joint exercises involving Indonesia and Malaysia, signalling New Delhi’s growing strategic engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

The 10th edition of the India–Indonesia special forces exercise Garuda Shakti began this week in Himachal Pradesh, even as preparations advance for the upcoming Harimau Shakti drills with Malaysia.

What is the India-Indonesia exercise?

The India–Indonesia exercise, being held from December 3–12 at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, aims to enhance interoperability, tactical coordination, and counter-terrorism capabilities between the two nations.

India is represented by troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), while Indonesia has deployed personnel from its elite Special Forces Command.

What will the India-Indonesia troops exercise?

The drills include intensive training in unarmed combat, combat shooting, sniping, heliborne operations, and mission planning for drone, counter-UAS, and loiter-munition strikes in semi-mountainous terrain.

Officials said the two sides will also exchange expertise on weapons, equipment, and operational tactics. A final validation exercise will simulate real-world combat conditions to test endurance, coordination, and readiness.

The exercise marks another step in New Delhi’s effort to deepen defence ties with ASEAN partners amid evolving regional security challenges.

What is the Harimau Shakti exercise?

Strengthening this outreach further, the Indian Army will conduct the fifth edition of Exercise Harimau Shakti with the Malaysian Army from December 5–18 at the Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan.

The bilateral drill focuses on sub-conventional operations in semi-urban and urban terrain, featuring joint tactical drills and coordinated responses to complex operational scenarios. The exercise aims to boost interoperability, mutual understanding, and operational synergy between the two forces.

India’s intensified engagement comes as the country also expands collaborations with extra-regional partners. Last week, the eighth edition of Exercise Garuda, a major Indo-French air drill, concluded in France, further reinforcing New Delhi’s network of strategic military partnerships across regions.