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.