The Australian Department of Defence announced “the largest combined joint activity in recent history” with Indonesia to strengthen strategic ties and regional security cooperation.
The drills come after the two countries signed a defense agreement in August to enhance military interoperability.
“Exercise Keris Woomera gives the [Australian Defence Force] and [Indonesian National Armed Forces] the opportunity to test our combined capabilities across the sea, land and air employing the most complex scenarios,” said Australia’s Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral Justin Jones.
Sea, Land, and Air
Over 2,000 military personnel are participating in the drills in Indonesia, conducting air, maritime, amphibious, and follow-on land operations, as well as simulations for emergency and evacuation scenarios.
The exercise will also include combined joint live-fire exercises involving tanks, artillery, infantry, and attack helicopters.
In addition, 35 Indonesian personnel will conduct integration training with Australian Defence Force troops aboard the HMAS “Adelaide” frigate in Darwin, on Australia’s northern coast.
“By training together, our forces build upon shared tactics, techniques, and procedures to enhance interoperability and readiness to respond to shared security challenges in the region,” added Jones.
Three bilateral exercises between the Australian and Indonesian air forces are held every year: Albatross, Rajawali AUSINDO, and Exercise Elang AUSINDO.
Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2024
The Keris Woomera initiative is part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour, a larger regional engagement effort promoted by Canberra.
It has been held annually since 2017, involving Australian ships, aircraft deployment exercises, and information sharing with partners.
These efforts aim to strengthen Canberra’s connections with 14 participating nations across Southeast Asia and the Northeast Indian Ocean.