Navies from the United States and Indonesia Conduct 
Joint Military Exercise in the Sulawesi Sea

 

March 20, 2006

The United States and Indonesian Navies completed a routine two-week-long bilateral exercise in the Sulawesi Sea that was designed to improve mutual cooperation and enhance military-to-military relationships. This Joint Combined Exercise for Training (JCET), focused on training in maritime operations, medical and communications planning, and marksmanship.

“JCETs are a valuable part of routine training with our partner nations in South East Asia,” said Lt. Col. K. Comer, the chief of the Office for Defense Cooperation at the U.S. Embassy. “The exercises are part of the regional security cooperation program implemented by U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) designed to enhance bilateral relations, contribute to regional stability, and to increase mutual cooperation between our two forces.”

The U.S. Navy participants in the exercise are part of U.S. PACOM. The U.S. and Indonesian Navy crews practiced maritime interdiction operations using two U.S. Naval Vessels, multiple Indonesian Military (TNI) patrol ships and with members of the Indonesian Naval Special Warfare Unit, KOPASKA. Crews practiced skills such as navigation and asset command and control to develop standard operating procedures before conducting a joint field training exercise. The training was conducted at the individual and team levels.

“The exercise was aimed at making KOPASKA members as well as members of the Tarakan and Bitung Naval bases more prepared and capable of facing terrorist actions in or through the [Sulawesi] Sea as terrorists are predicted to enter through Tarakan and Bitung from the Philippines and Malaysia,” said Lt. Col. M. Faisal, chief of KOPASKA at the Eastern Fleet Command.

Removal of mil-to-mil restrictions between the two countries means Indonesia will see more partnerships with the U.S. military, including increased foreign military financing (FMF) and international military education and training (IMET) programs. U.S. PACOM forces have also recently participated in several humanitarian assistance projects in Indonesia. In January, U.S. PACOM donated an $11 million Naval Fleet Hospital to the Indonesian government to increase the disaster relief capability of the Indonesian military. Next week, U.S. PACOM marks the completion of a $1.3 million project to construct two new schools and two new bridges on Nias Island__one year after an earthquake severely damages structures on the island.

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