The US Navy has conducted the sea phase of exercise Garuda Shield 2022 in the Natuna Sea with the Indonesian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy.
The US Navy’s Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) joined Indonesian Navy’s ships at sea to develop mutual capabilities to address shared maritime security priorities and concerns.
USS Charleston and USS Green Bay are under command of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7.
The Indonesian ships that participated in the sea phase included Bung Tomo-class corvettes KRI Bung Tomo (357) and KRI John Lie (358), Diponegoro-class corvette KRI Frans Kaisiepo (368), and Makassar-class landing platform dock KRI Makassar (590).
The Republic of Singapore Navy’s Formidable-class stealth frigate RSS Supreme (73) and Endurance-class landing platform dock ship RSS Resolution (208) also participated in the Garuda Shield 2022 sea phase.
The exercise featured complex at-sea training to demonstrate the forces’ ability to work together through numerous events, including divisional tactics designed to practice maneuvering as ships sail together in complex formations.
Other focus areas were surface and littoral warfare, search and rescue, a gunnery exercise, and visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) events.
“We share an abiding common interest in a more prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific region. We always look forward to exercises like Garuda Shield that clearly and consistently demonstrate the strength of our alliances and partnerships in the region,” said Capt. Tom Ogden , commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7.
“Incorporating and integrating amphibious forces is an essential part of combined training that ensures freedom of the sea in the littorals and reaffirms the United States’ warfighting commitments to our allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific,” said Capt. Severn B. Stevens , commanding officer of Green Bay.
Garuda Shield is an annual combined and joint exercise between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) designed to strengthen bilateral interoperability.
In April this year, the US and Indonesian navies conducted at-sea bilateral operations in the South China Sea. The operations included the US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) and the Indonesian Navy’s corvette KRI Bung Tomo (FF 357).