US and Indonesia Conduct Live-Fire Short-Range Air Defense Exercise to Boost Interoperability

The US and Indonesian forces have conducted their second consecutive live-fire short-range air defense exercise in Indonesia. The drill incorporated the man-portable FIM-92 Stinger and the vehicle-mounted Mistral 3 system, expanding the training to include US Army infantry soldiers under the air defense guidance of the Marine Corps. The exercise took place on September 9 at the Baturaja Combat Training Center in Indonesia as part of Super Garuda Shield 26 (SGS26), an annual bilateral military exercise between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the US military aimed at building interoperability and strengthening short-range air defense capabilities against low-altitude threats.

The FIM-92 Stinger is the US military's primary man-portable air defense system (MANPAD), operated by soldiers from the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, which is part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, and directly guided by the US Marine Corps' 3rd Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) team, whose primary weapon system is the Stinger. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Liam Hartman said, "My goal today is to help train these soldiers to use the FIM-92 Stinger against drones."

Stinger System Operation and Training

"We're here to make sure they have the basics down and know how to properly intercept drones, and we succeeded."

For the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 11th Airborne Division, the integration of the Stinger is a first. "We've been actively training our 11 Bravo infantry on the operation of the Stinger," said Brian Myers, the brigade's air and missile defense systems integration officer and chief warrant officer. "This is a first for the brigade's execution."

The Role and Function of Mistral 3

In the exercise, Indonesia's 10th Air Defense Artillery Battalion operated the Mistral 3—a heavier infrared-guided short-range air defense missile system designed to intercept low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and drones. Unlike the man-portable Stinger, the Mistral 3 is ground-based tripod-mounted but can also be installed on armored tactical vehicles and automated remote-controlled turrets, giving it a dual role in both static base defense and mobile defense. The pairing of these two systems in a single joint exercise reflects a clear effort to build complementary capabilities: US forces developing organic MANPAD proficiency at the infantry level, while Indonesian forces employ a heavier vehicle-mounted system to provide more sustained protection.

SGS26 involves approximately 2,500 US armed forces personnel from multiple services, including about 1,200 from the US Army, about 100 Marines, about 900 US Navy sailors, and personnel from the US Air Force and Special Operations Command. The air defense training event on September 9 was one component of the two-week multinational exercise. Myers framed the cross-national training in stark terms: "Regardless of language barriers, we share a common understanding that we want to be the best at destroying those targets that may threaten the Indonesian armed forces and the US."

The Training Framework of SGS26

While last year's SGS25 marked the first live-fire Stinger launch in Indonesia, SGS26 expanded that milestone into a repeatable multi-system air defense training framework—this framework now integrates Marine Corps low-altitude air defense expertise, Army infantry adaptability, and Indonesian artillery proficiency to address the low-altitude threat environment in modern Indo-Pacific security planning.

The Significance of US-Indonesia Air Defense Cooperation

The US-Indonesia short-range air defense exercise not only enhances military interoperability between the two nations but also underscores the importance of countering modern low-altitude threats. By combining different air defense systems, the forces of both countries can form a more effective protective network against drones and other low-altitude threats. Such exercises not only strengthen military cooperation but also support security stability in the Indo-Pacific region, reflecting the importance of multinational military collaboration.