Australia-Indonesia war games fire up after new defence pact

The amphibious landing on an east Java beach involved 2000 personnel, and occurred days after Russia hailed its own first modest naval drills with our near-neighbour.

Australian troops at Banongan beach in Situbondo. Picture: Agvi Firdaus

Australia and Indonesia have pulled off the largest, most complex war-games exercise ever conducted between the two defence forces with an amphibious landing on an east Java beach, days after Russia hailed its own first modest naval drills with our near-neighbour.

The show of joint military force, dubbed Keris Woomera, involved 2000 army, navy and air force personnel, Australian warships and F16 fighter jets, Apache and Tiger helicopters, Abrams tanks, landing craft and plenty of explosions, highlighting a military relationship in rude health off the back of an upgraded Defence Co-operation Agreement.

The four-day exercises, which culminate in live-fire drills on Saturday, were 18 months in the planning but could not have been better timed given growing concerns over the impact of Indonesian President Prabowo Subian-to’s foreign policy approach.

The new leader has had a busy few weeks since his October 20 inauguration with Indonesia signing on to BRICS, the China-led group of emerging economies, even as its navy has had to chase Chinese coastguard vessels out of its waters at the edge of the South China Sea at least three times in that time.

Last week Indonesia’s navy held its first joint exercises with Russia, while at the weekend Prabowo pledged deeper military and economic ties with China in a joint statement that seemed to acknowledge Beijing’s discredited claims over the strategic waterway, including Indonesia’s own Natuna Sea.

The apparent error set alarm bells ringing in Canberra and in Washington, where a White House spokeswoman said on Tuesday as Prabowo met President Joe Biden that the US encouraged Indonesia “to work with their legal experts” to make sure any agreements with China aligned with international law.

Australian Defence Force joint operations chief Justin Jones told The Australian that while the timing of Keris Woomera was “entirely coincidental” to political upheaval in the region and in the US where Donald Trump’s election win is likely to ramp up US-China rivalry, such exercises helped prepare the two nations to jointly address any “regional security related” issues.

“What’s been achieved here today is a step advancement in our defence relationship,” Vice-Admiral Jones said.

Australian troops during an amphibious landing. Picture: Agvi Firdaus

“This is all about the Indonesia-Australia relationship first and foremost and how far we have come over a long period. Next most important is its contribution to regional security.”

The Australia-Indonesia military relationship was already “deep and personal” but transferring skills, sharing knowledge and tactics forged even deeper trust.

“Indonesia and Australia share the longest maritime boundary as close neighbours,” Vice-Admiral Jones said. “If you think about that in terms of your neighbourhood and how important it is for your neighbours to be secure for your own security, that’s the analogy I would use for the Indonesia-Australia relationship. We are part of this region and invested in its stability and security.”

As part of the lead-up to Wednesday’s exercise, 32 Indonesian marines trained on-board the navy’s HMAS Adelaide amphibious assault ship for several weeks as it sailed from Darwin through the Tiwi Islands to East Java.

Indonesian naval doctrine commander Lieutenant General Nur Alamsyah said such military co-operation with Australia was critical to building good relations and understanding. “We are neighbours. We are always going to be connected,” he added.

An Australian soldier as part of Exercise Keris Woomera. Picture: Agvi Firdaus

Australia’s push to conclude the upgraded DCA is looking increasingly prescient as Indonesia’s defence calendar dance card fills up under Prabowo’s “friend to all, enemy of none” mantra, with would-be suitors looking to build ties with the emerging Asian power.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior security analyst Euan Graham said Prabowo’s foreign policy had looked “shaky” in the first weeks of his presidency, and Australia would have to learn to navigate his more “capricious approach”.

But, like every Indonesian leader before him, Prabowo would likely pursue a “multi-directional foreign policy that keeps Jakarta’s options open and avoids any “exclusive alignment”.

“That is why Prabowo approved the upgraded Defence Co-operation Agreement with Australia before he formally assumed office,” said Graham.

“Australia will never be his priority relationship, and will struggle to compete against China’s economic inroads. But Prabowo does appear to value Australia’s strategic weight in maintaining a regional balance of power.”