The Garuda Shakti validation exercise, 48 hours of joint operations in jungle terrain, brought the 11th edition of the India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces Exercise to a close at Banyuwangi, Indonesia, on Thursday.

All training objectives were successfully validated, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The exercise brought together troops of the Indian Army's Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and the Indonesian Special Forces. Its stated aim was to improve interoperability, operational coordination and mutual understanding between the two armies.

Garuda Shakti validation exercise tested seven days of jungle training

The validation pulled together everything the two contingents had trained on over the preceding seven days. It was run under simulated operational conditions and assessed their skill in patrolling, combat tracking, mountaineering and other Special Forces tasks. Endurance was on test too, along with coordination and the ability to carry out joint missions.

The Garuda Shakti validation exercise was the last event before the closing ceremony.

Troops rehearsed a full air assault mission in dense jungle

Heli-borne operations formed a large part of the training. Troops practised the complete sequence of an air assault, from rapid insertion by helicopter and securing the landing zone to tactical patrolling and carrying out assigned missions in thick jungle.

The ministry said the drills built tactical mobility and coordination in difficult ground.

Special Forces trained to track trails and fly drones

Combat tracking was another focus. The contingents learnt to pick up and follow a trail by reading ground signs and disturbances on the jungle floor, a skill used to locate an adversary moving through cover. Troops also trained in using drones for surveillance, reconnaissance and better situational awareness during tactical operations.

The wider syllabus also covered combat marksmanship, obstacle crossing and mountaineering. Earlier in the exercise, the two sides held joint live firing drills in combat marksmanship, transition firing and sniper firing. The contingents also swapped notes on weapons, equipment, operational techniques and best practices.

Indian Ambassador attends closing ceremony at Banyuwangi

The Ambassador of India to Indonesia and the Commander of Division 2 of the Indonesian Army attended the closing ceremony on Thursday.

Garuda Shakti 10th edition was held at Bakloh in 2025

This year's edition opened at Banyuwangi on October 27, with the Ministry of Defence setting out jungle-terrain special operations as its theme from the start. The Indian Army fields Para Special Forces troops for the series.

Garuda Shakti is the Army's leg of a broader defence relationship with Jakarta, which has grown to cover the Astra and BrahMos missiles and Sabang port. The naval exercise Samudra Shakti and the India-Indonesia Coordinated Patrol also figure on the bilateral calendar, according to the Consulate General of India in Bali.

India hosted the 10th edition at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh, from December 3 to 12, 2025. Counter-terrorism drills, unarmed combat, combat shooting and heli-borne operations were on that programme.

A 25-member Indian contingent trained at Cijantung, near Jakarta, for the ninth edition from November 1 to 12, 2024.