Soldiers from 14 nations to take part in Indonesian-US war games

JAKARTA: The annual military exercises between Indonesian and US armies will include more than a dozen countries this year, officials said Sunday, as tensions with China continue to spike in the region.

The “Garuda Shield” joint training will see militaries from 14 countries — including Britain, Australia and Japan — participate in ground drills and beach-landing exercises from August 1-14 in Indonesia’s South Sumatra archipelago and the East of Borneo island, the Indonesian Army said.

A US official said an estimated 3,000 soldiers will participate in the event.

That would make it “the largest” edition since Garuda Shield was established in 2009, Albert Tambunan, an Indonesian military spokesperson told AFP Sunday.