Indonesia and Russia launched their first joint naval exercises in the Java Sea on Monday, marking a significant step in Indonesia’s ongoing commitment to non-alignment by building defense partnerships with countries across the globe. The training, which will run from November 4 to 8 near the Indonesian city of Surabaya, follows the arrival of four Russian warships on Sunday.
The Indonesian Navy announced the exercise as an “actualisation of an international partnership” between the two nations’ naval forces, underscoring the long-standing and cooperative relationship between Indonesia and Russia. Though details of the drills were not disclosed, the Indonesian Navy shared that the exercises would focus on knowledge-sharing between the navies. Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Sergey Tolchenov, described the drills as the “first large-scale naval exercises” between the two countries.
This development comes shortly after Indonesia’s newly inaugurated President Prabowo Subianto pledged to strengthen ties with Russia, maintaining the Southeast Asian nation’s historic stance of non-alignment by fostering open relations with a variety of global partners. Analysts view the drills as a signal of Indonesia’s desire to engage with multiple nations without aligning itself strictly with any one bloc, a strategy that aligns with Indonesia’s tradition of balancing relations with major powers.
Yohanes Sulaiman, an international relations expert, noted that the joint exercise “shows that Indonesia is open to working with everybody.” He added that the collaboration may also reflect Russia’s intention to highlight its ongoing international alliances.
Indonesia’s relationship with Russia, highlighted by Prabowo’s recent characterisation of Russia as a “great friend,” adds to Indonesia’s portfolio of diverse defense partnerships. Indonesia also maintains military exercises with other countries, including the annual “Super Garuda Shield” drill with the United States, which has been held since 2006. This year’s “Super Garuda Shield” included over 4,500 personnel, highlighting Indonesia’s balanced approach to global defense collaboration.
Melissa Enoch
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