U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley (left) and Indonesian commander Andika PercasaIndonesia and the United States will hold large-scale military exercises next month.
According to local media such as the Jakarta Post and the Daily Compass on the 26th, General Andika Percasa, commander of the Indonesian army, told reporters on the 24th that US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley visited Indonesia with the United States and Sumatra from the 1st to the 14th of next month. Kalimantan said it plans to conduct an annual joint military exercise called ‘Super Garuda Shield’ (Super Eagle Shield).
Japan, Australia, and Singapore will participate in this exercise, and nine countries including Korea, Malaysia, Canada, Australia, France, and the United Kingdom will join as observers.
Indonesia plans to send 2,000 soldiers for this exercise, and the US plans to mobilize more than 1,100 troops. If you add troops from 12 countries, the number of troops participating in the training is over 4,000. In addition, 7 Apache helicopters, 4 Black Hawk helicopters, and 41 armored vehicles are expected to be deployed in this exercise, making it the largest ever exercise.
This exercise is being conducted in a situation where there is great concern that Indonesia will be economically subordinated to China as it has received large-scale investment from China.
China has been pouring more than $4 billion (regarding 5.2 trillion won) every year for three years until last year, including building a large nickel smelter in Sulawesi, Indonesia and conducting a high-speed train project linking the capital Jakarta to the third city, Bandong.
In addition, in order to strengthen its influence in the South China Sea, it is working hard not only in Indonesia but also in other Southeast Asian countries, while continuing to build up its forces militarily.
In response, General Milley said during a visit to Indonesia on the 24th that the Chinese military had become more aggressive and dangerous in the past five years, saying, “The Chinese military in this area is showing noticeably aggressive movements in the air and at sea.”
“I want to work to build interoperability and modernize the military so Indonesia can respond to the challenges posed by China,” he added.
Earlier, the United States approved the sale of weapons worth 16 trillion won, including F-15 fighters, to Indonesia.
In response, CNN Indonesia, a local media outlet, interpreted Milley’s visit to Indonesia to focus on the Chinese threat and to prevent China’s influence in the region.
[연합뉴스]
s ⓒ Yonhap News. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited
