tempo, Jakarta – MilitaryMembers of the Indonesian Navy’s (TNI-AL) elite Frogman Commando (Kopaska) and a U.S. Navy Sea-Air-Land (SEAL) team began a 22-day joint exercise earlier this week to enhance the navy’s warfighting capabilities.
The military exercise, Flash Thunder Iron 2024 Joint Composite Exchange Training (JCET), will be conducted in collaboration with U.S. Navy SEAL Group 1 from July 8-29, 2024, in several areas of East Java.
According to Brigadier General Baloyo Eko Basuki, head of the TNI-AL Frogman Command Center, the JCET is aimed at enhancing the capabilities of the two navies’ elite forces in naval warfare.
“This joint exercise is not new to Kopaska personnel and U.S. Navy SEALs,” he said in a press statement. Antara Received from TNI-AL on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
He added that elite units from the two navies have been conducting joint exercises since the 1980s but that the code names for the operations have changed frequently and participants are expected to undergo multiple training courses.
As part of the JCET, Kopaska and U.S. Navy SEALs will conduct tactical combat casualty care, close quarters combat, small boat operations, underwater operations and full mission profile exercises.
Baski said the two elite units will also conduct training in sniper shooting, as well as visit, board, search and seizure.
The training is being conducted annually following the 2022 U.S.-Indonesia Bilateral Defense Consultations (USIBIDD) and Special Operations Forces (SOF) Consultations.
The aim is to enhance the professionalism of Indonesian and U.S. naval personnel and improve interoperability between the two navies.
Recently, soldiers from the Indonesian Navy’s 1st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion (Yon Tai Phib) and the U.S. Marine Corps conducted a series of reconnaissance and infiltration exercises as part of the Reconnaissance Exchange (RECONEX) 2024 joint exercise.
The two units conducted close-combat training from May 8-10, including long-range navigation training and full mission profile infiltration training.
Brigadier General Umar Farooq, commander of the 1st Marine Corps (Dampusmar), called for continued joint training between Indonesian and U.S. Marines beyond Reconex 2024.
During the program, amphibious reconnaissance troops from both countries trained to infiltrate hostile territory, neutralize targets, rescue hostages, provide medical care and evacuate the wounded.
In addition, the soldiers were trained in long-distance navigation and surface-crossing infiltration techniques using rubber boats (Sea Riders).
Antara
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