Just a few days after signalling a strenthening of their defence ties, India and Indonesia are set to commence joint Special Forces exercise – Garuda Shakti 2025 – at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh. Scheduled to take place from Wednesday, December 3, 2025, to Friday, December 12, 2025, this will be the 10th edition of the joint drills.
Designed to sharpen combined combat readiness, the exercise aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen operational synergy between the two militaries. As part of the 10th Garuda Shakti exercise, both sides will undertake a high-intensity training curriculum featuring counter-terrorism drills, heliborne insertion missions, combat shooting, drone and counter-UAS operations, and surgical strike planning, all adapted to semi-mountainous terrain.
“The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and mutual understanding through Special Forces-specific operations, further strengthening the robust defence partnership between the two nations,” Indian Army said in a post on X.
Garuda Shakti 2025: Why is the latest edition significant?
India-Indonesia’s joint drills Garuda Shakti 2025 comes at a time when both the countries are expanding their defence partnership across land, maritime and industrial domains. The Indian Army described the drills as a platform to deepen mutual understanding, modernise joint operations and bolster specialised warfare capabilities against emerging threats in the Indo-Pacific.
The announcement followed the recent visit of Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, signalling strategic continuity in bilateral defence engagements.
How are India and Indonesia strengthening defence ties?
During the 3rd India-Indonesia Defence Ministers’ Dialogue held in New Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Indonesian counterpart agreed to step up maritime security coordination, particularly in the eastern Indian Ocean where both nations share converging interests.
The two ministers emphasised expanding military-to-military engagemen, enhancing collaboration in defence technology, reinforcing a shared vision for a free, open and peaceful Indo-Pacific. According to the Ministry of Defence, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based order.
India and Indonesia also highlighted the alignment between ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific outlook and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.
What new defence cooperation frameworks are being planned?
Indonesia welcomed India’s proposal to create a Joint Defence Industry Cooperation Committee, which would advance technology transfer, joint R&D, certification harmonisation, supply-chain integration.
The two nations also agreed to expand cooperation in maritime domain awareness, cyber resilience, and joint operational readiness, including collaboration through regional bodies such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association, currently chaired by India. Both ministers expressed satisfaction with the Dialogue outcomes and committed to sustaining high-level exchanges and practical defence cooperation to bolster stability across the Indo-Pacific.