GARUDA SHAKTI 2026: India and Indonesia Strengthen Defence Cooperation in East Java

Indian and Indonesian special forces have begun the GARUDA SHAKTI 2026 validation exercise in East Java today. In a social media post, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta said the 48-hour exercise involving the Indian Army and the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) will test the troops’ ability to apply specialised combat skills in challenging operational conditions. It will also assess their endurance, tactical coordination, and decision-making under pressure and prepare them to undertake complex joint missions. Operating in a realistic scenario, these elite troops will have to work together under demanding conditions that test their endurance, tactical coordination and decision-making – all under pressure.