Indonesia and Russia start their first-ever joint naval drills in the Java Sea

Indonesia and Russia have started their first naval training together. This shows that Indonesia is committed to non-aligned defense partnerships with allies around the world.

Monday, Indonesia and Russia held their first joint naval exercises in the Java Sea. This was a big step toward Indonesia’s goal of building defense partnerships with countries around the world as part of its pledge to non-alignment. The training will happen from November 4 to 8 near the city of Surabaya in Indonesia. It comes after four Russian warships arrived on Sunday.

The Indonesian Navy called the drill a “actualization of an international partnership” between the naval forces of the two countries. This showed that Indonesia and Russia have had a good relationship for a long time and work together. Even though specifics of the drills were not given, the Indonesian Navy said that the exercises would be mostly about sharing what they know with other militaries. Sergey Tolchenov, Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia, said that the drills were the “first large-scale naval exercises” between the two countries.

This happened soon after Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s new president, promised to improve ties with Russia. He said this would help the Southeast Asian country stick to its historic position of non-alignment by encouraging open relationships with many global partners. Analysts see the drills as a sign that Indonesia wants to work with many countries without firmly joining any one group. This is in line with Indonesia’s history of keeping relations with big powers balanced.

Yohanes Sulaiman, an expert on foreign relations, said that the exercise “shows that Indonesia is willing to work with anyone.” He also said that the partnership might be a way for Russia to show off its many foreign partnerships.

The military partnership between Indonesia and Russia, which was emphasized by Prabowo’s recent call for Russia to be a “great friend,” is one of many that Indonesia has with other countries. Indonesia also holds military drills with other countries. For example, since 2006, the US and Indonesia have held the yearly “Super Garuda Shield” drill. Over 4,500 people took part in this year’s “Super Garuda Shield,” which shows how balanced Indonesia’s method is to working with other countries on defense.