India and Indonesia commenced the 11th edition of Exercise Garuda Shakti at Banyuwangi, Indonesia, on 27 October 2026. The Indian Army contingent from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) joined soldiers of the Indonesian Special Forces for joint jungle warfare training. The exercise will continue till 6 November 2026 and focuses on counter insurgency and counter terrorism operations in jungle terrain.
What Is the Garuda Shakti Exercise?
Exercise Garuda Shakti is the annual bilateral Joint Special Forces exercise between the armies of India and Indonesia. The exercise brings together elite commando units from both countries to practise special operations in realistic field conditions. It covers jungle warfare, counter terrorism drills, close quarter combat and other small team missions.
The exercise series began in 2012 as part of the military to military exchange programme between New Delhi and Jakarta. Since then, the Indian Army and the Indonesian Army have hosted alternate editions in India and Indonesia. Each edition lasts about 12 to 13 days and ends with a validation phase that tests physical endurance and joint planning skills.
On the Indian side, troops come from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), often called Para SF. Para SF is the special forces arm of the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Army, with battalions trained for surgical strikes, reconnaissance behind enemy lines, hostage rescue and high altitude operations. The regiment traces its origins to 1966 when the first commando battalion was raised. On the Indonesian side, troops come from Kopassus, which stands for Komando Pasukan Khusus. Kopassus is the special forces command of the Indonesian Army, founded on 16 April 1952 and identified by its red beret. Kopassus groups specialise in para commando assaults, intelligence gathering, sabotage and covert missions.
Garuda Shakti Exercise Between Which Countries?
Exercise Garuda Shakti is conducted between India and Indonesia. The Indian Army’s Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) trains with Indonesia’s Kopassus special forces. The two countries hold the exercise every year, alternately in India and Indonesia, to strengthen interoperability for jungle counter terrorism operations.
The pairing is fixed and bilateral. Exercise Garuda Shakti involves only the land forces of India and Indonesia, and it should not be confused with other exercises that use the word Garuda. The air force drill called Exercise Garuda is held between India and France, while the large multinational drill called Super Garuda Shield is led by Indonesia and the United States with many partner nations. Indonesia joined the Super Garuda Shield 2026 edition along with India and 19 other countries at Bandung, Baturaja and Lampung from 31 August to 11 September 2026.
11th Edition in Banyuwangi: Operational Format and Special Forces Role
The 11th edition of Exercise Garuda Shakti opened at Banyuwangi on 27 October 2026. Banyuwangi is a coastal district in East Java province, at the eastern tip of Java island facing the Bali Strait. Its dense forests and hilly ground provide realistic conditions for jungle warfare practice. The Indian Army contingent had departed India on 25 October 2026 for the exercise site, and joint training will run till 6 November 2026.
The mandate for the 2026 edition is special operations in jungle terrain under counter insurgency and counter terrorism scenarios. Both contingents will share their tactics, techniques and procedures for small team actions. Training modules include troop level tactics for patrols and ambushes, unarmed combat techniques, combat shooting and sniping, heliborne insertion and extraction, and joint planning for surgical strikes. Recent editions have also added drone operations and counter drone measures, combat first aid and joint validation raids.
The exercise follows a progressive format. The opening days focus on familiarisation with each other’s weapons, equipment and operating procedures. The middle phase involves joint rehearsals of tactical drills and night operations in the forest. The final phase is a validation exercise in which mixed teams from India and Indonesia carry out a simulated counter terrorism mission. This closing test checks physical endurance, shooting skill, communication and the ability to plan together under pressure.
Edition History and Timeline of Garuda Shakti
Exercise Garuda Shakti has been held regularly since 2012. The venue rotates between the two countries, which helps soldiers train in different climates, from the semi mountainous terrain of northern India to the tropical forests of Indonesia. The strength of each contingent is usually small, around 25 personnel from India and about 40 personnel from Indonesia, because special forces training depends on compact teams rather than large formations.
| Edition | Year | Venue | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Edition | 2018 | Bandung, Indonesia | Counter terrorism operations, close quarter combat and special operations experience sharing |
| 7th Edition | 2019 | Agra, India | Joint tactical drills and special forces interoperability |
| 8th Edition | 2022 | Sangga Buana Training Area, Karawang, Indonesia | Jungle training and counter terrorism cooperation |
| 9th Edition | 1 to 12 November 2024 | Cijantung, Jakarta, Indonesia | Operating procedures, interoperability and joint counter terrorism missions in sub conventional domain |
| 10th Edition | 3 to 12 December 2025 | Special Forces Training School, Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh, India | Counter terrorism drills, heliborne operations, combat shooting, sniping, drone and counter drone use in semi mountainous terrain |
| 11th Edition | 27 October to 6 November 2026 | Banyuwangi, Indonesia | Special operations in jungle terrain under counter insurgency and counter terrorism scenarios |
The 9th edition at Cijantung closed on 12 November 2024 with senior officers from both armies and the Indian Ambassador to Indonesia in attendance. The 10th edition moved back to India at Bakloh, home to the Indian Army’s Special Forces Training School. The return to Indonesia for the 11th edition continues the pattern of alternate hosting and keeps the annual cycle intact.
Samudra Shakti: The Related India Indonesia Naval Exercise
Exercise Samudra Shakti is the bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian Navy and the Indonesian Navy. The word Samudra means sea, and the exercise tests cooperation at sea in the same way Garuda Shakti tests cooperation on land. The Samudra Shakti series started in 2018 after the two countries agreed to deepen maritime ties during the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Indonesia in May 2018.
The first Samudra Shakti was held from 12 to 18 November 2018 at Surabaya, Indonesia. Later editions expanded in scale. The third edition took place off the Sunda Strait in September 2021 with Indian ships INS Shivalik and INS Kadmatt. The fourth edition was held at Batam, Indonesia, from 14 to 19 May 2023 with INS Kavaratti, a Dornier maritime patrol aircraft and a Chetak helicopter on the Indian side. The fifth edition was hosted by India at Visakhapatnam from 14 to 17 October 2025 with INS Kavaratti and the Indonesian ship KRI John Lie.
Each Samudra Shakti has a harbour phase and a sea phase. The harbour phase includes cross deck visits, subject matter expert exchanges, joint yoga and sports fixtures. The sea phase includes weapon firing, helicopter operations, anti submarine warfare drills, air defence exercises and visit, board, search and seizure operations. These drills build a common understanding of maritime security operations in the Indian Ocean region.
Garuda Shakti and Samudra Shakti: India Indonesia Military Exercises Compared
India and Indonesia conduct two regular bilateral exercises with similar names, and readers often mix them with two other Garuda named drills. A clear comparison helps avoid confusion during factual recall.
| Feature | Garuda Shakti | Samudra Shakti | Exercise Garuda | Super Garuda Shield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countries involved | India and Indonesia only | India and Indonesia only | India and France only | Indonesia and the United States as leads, with many partners including India, Australia, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom |
| Service arm | Armies, Special Forces | Navies | Air Forces, Indian Air Force and French Air and Space Force | Multi service, Army, Navy, Air Force and cyber elements |
| Started in | 2012 | 2018 | 2003 | Bilateral Garuda Shield began in 2006, expanded to Super Garuda Shield in 2022 |
| Latest edition in cycle | 11th edition, Banyuwangi, 27 October to 6 November 2026 | 5th edition, Visakhapatnam, 14 to 17 October 2025 | 8th edition, France, November 2025 | 2026 edition, Bandung, Baturaja, Lampung and North Kalimantan, 31 August to 11 September 2026 with about 5,000 personnel |
| Core purpose | Jungle warfare and counter terrorism interoperability | Maritime interoperability and maritime security cooperation | Air combat interoperability and air doctrine refinement | Large scale joint readiness for a free and open Indo Pacific |
The distinction is simple. Garuda Shakti and Samudra Shakti are purely bilateral India Indonesia drills for land and sea respectively. Exercise Garuda is a separate India France air drill that began at Gwalior in 2003 and is now in its eighth edition. Super Garuda Shield began as a United States Indonesia bilateral drill called Garuda Shield and became multinational in 2022. India participates in Super Garuda Shield as one of many partner nations, while India co hosts Garuda Shakti as an equal bilateral partner.
Strategic Significance for India Indonesia Defence Cooperation
The Garuda Shakti series strengthens practical trust between the two armies at the soldier level. Special forces rely on split second coordination during hostage rescue, jungle patrols and counter terror raids. Joint practice in Banyuwangi lets Indian and Indonesian teams learn each other’s weapons handling, radio procedures, medical drills and rules for operating in dense forests. This direct familiarity reduces errors during real joint missions and relief tasks.
The exercise also supports India’s wider engagement with Southeast Asia and the Indo Pacific. Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic nation, with its capital at Jakarta, and it sits astride the Malacca Strait and the Sunda Strait through which a large share of India’s trade and energy supplies pass. Both countries share a maritime neighbourhood near the Andaman Sea, and both navies and armies stress secure sea lanes, anti piracy cooperation and quick response to natural disasters. Regular land and sea drills signal a steady defence partnership that complements diplomatic ties and joint naval patrols.
For counter terrorism preparedness, jungle terrain training holds special value. Militant groups in forested border zones often use dense cover, small boats and remote camps. Skills practised at Garuda Shakti, such as heliborne insertion, night navigation, close quarter combat and drone assisted surveillance, apply directly to such environments. The inclusion of counter drone measures in recent editions reflects the changing nature of low intensity conflict, where small commercial drones can be used for spying or attacks.
Key Takeaways
- The 11th edition of Exercise Garuda Shakti commenced on 27 October 2026 at Banyuwangi, Indonesia and will run till 6 November 2026.
- Exercise Garuda Shakti is conducted between India and Indonesia, with India represented by the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and Indonesia by Kopassus.
- The exercise series began in 2012, while the 10th edition was held at Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh from 3 to 12 December 2025.
- Exercise Samudra Shakti is the separate bilateral naval exercise between India and Indonesia, started in 2018, with its 5th edition held at Visakhapatnam in October 2025.
- Exercise Garuda is the India France air force drill, while Super Garuda Shield is the Indonesia United States led multinational drill in which India participates as a partner.
