RI joins Assie defense exercise

RI joins Assie defense exercise

CANBERRA (AFP): Airborne troops of Indonesia's Strategic
Reserve Force (Kostrad) arrived yesterday to join Australian
paratroopers for an army exercise later this month as efforts
accelerate to strengthen defense links between the two countries.

Exercise Swift Canopy is also aimed at helping both sides to
assess differences in communications, including language
barriers, parachute safety and operating procedures.

The 30 Kostrad troops, who are part of Indonesia's main strike
force, will join soldiers of Australia's airborne Third Battalion
and 8th/12th Medium Regiment of artillery at the Shoalwater Bay
Training Area in Queensland.

Defense Force spokesman, Brig. Adrian D'Hage said the exercise
would provide lead-up training for the Indonesians before the
major Australian tri-service Exercise Kangaroo 95 in the tropical
Northern Territory in August.

Indonesia will contribute several hundred troops to that
exercise, joining forces from Australia, the United States and
Singapore.

D'Hage said Swift Canopy would practice conventional ground
operations, adding: "It's all part of moves toward more exercises
with the Indonesians.

"We would like to operate with them and they with us so we can
familiarize ourselves with each other's equipment.

"The combined parachute battalion group exercise will involve
an airborne insertion of parachutists, securing of a landing zone
and strikes by RAAF F-111 aircraft."

Relations between the defense forces of the two countries have
steadily improved since the late 1980s, with regular air force,
navy and now army exercises scheduled.