PH, Indonesia armies conclude urban, jungle warfare training

MANILA, Philippines—The armies of the Philippines and Indonesia have concluded a two-week online training aimed at enhancing their capabilities in urban and jungle warfare special operations.

The training between the Philippine Army’s First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSSR) and Indonesian Army’s Komando Pasukan Khusus ran from Nov. 8 to 22.

During online discussions, the two armies shared best practices in counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and military decision-making.

“The strong relationship of both armies is necessary for improving our interoperability which allows us to face the current and future challenges that affect our respective countries,” said FSSR Commander Brig. Gen. Freddie Dela Cruz.

The Philippines and Indonesia, which share a common border, face similar security challenges, including terrorism, piracy, transnational crimes, national disasters, climate change, and even the current COVID pandemic.

“Considering that both our countries are neighbors, and we share common security interests, it is essential that our countries and our armies work together to address these national security concerns better,” Dela Cruz said.

Just last month, the armies of the Philippines and Indonesia also exchanged best practices on cyber communications aimed at promoting communications interoperability during humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The two armies specifically discussed command and control, communications and cyber system (C4S) capabilities, and tactics and techniques on signal support operations.

TSB