Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia is preparing for Flash Thunder Iron 2024 – Joint Combined Exchange Training (JCET) between elite personnel from its navy’s Frogmen Command (Kopaska) and the United States Navy SEALs.
The joint military exercise is scheduled to take place in Surabaya and Situbondo, East Java, from July 8 to 29, 2024, according to a press release from the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) issued here on Saturday.
In preparation for the joint exercise, the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) provided flight operations support to U.S. Navy personnel and equipment at Naval Air Station Juanda in Sidoarjo, East Java.
The U.S. Navy SEALs and their equipment arrived Friday, July 5, aboard a Dornier 328 transport plane that landed in Juanda, according to Juanda Naval Air Station Commander Col. Dani Achnisundani.
Juanda Naval Air Station is committed to supporting the TNI-AL and the US Navy to ensure the successful holding of Flash Thunder Iron 2024, he said.
Flash Thunder Iron 2024 is a joint exercise between Indonesian personnel from Kopaska and their counterparts from the United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Group 1.
This training is conducted annually following the United States-Indonesia Bilateral Defense Discussions (USIBIDD) and Special Operations Forces (SOF) talks in 2022.
Its aim is to strengthen the professionalism of Indonesian and US naval personnel and improve interoperability between the two navies.
Similar to Flash Thunder Iron 2023, personnel participating in 2024 will likely train in areas such as tactical combat casualty care, close quarters combat, underwater operations and full mission profile exercises.
In a recent military training between Indonesia and the United States, Indonesian Navy soldiers from the Marine Corps’ 1st Amphibious Reconnaissance Battalion (Yontaifib) and U.S. Marines concluded a series of reconnaissance and infiltration exercises as part of the joint exercise “Reconnaissance Exchange” (Reconex) 2024.
Both units conducted closing exercises from May 8-10, 2024, including long-range navigation and full mission profile infiltration exercises.
Commander of the Navy Troops (Danpasmar) 1, Brigadier General Umar Farouq, stressed the continuation of joint training between the Indonesian and US Navy troops beyond Reconex 2024.
During the program, amphibious reconnaissance soldiers from both countries trained to infiltrate enemy territory, neutralize targets, rescue hostages, and provide medical care and evacuation to the wounded.
In addition, the soldiers were trained in long-range navigation and surface infiltration techniques using inflatable boats (seariders).
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