STRENGTHENING BILATERAL TIES IN EX SAFKAR INDOPURA

Communication is often a crucial factor in ensuring mission success. So how does one communicate when you don't speak the same language?

For Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Martin Koh, the language barrier was a hurdle that troops from the Singapore Army and the Indonesian National Army (TNI-AD) were able to surmount due to the warm professional and interpersonal ties between the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the TNI-AD.

"All the soldiers were very friendly and although it could be difficult to communicate at times, we managed to work well together and push through the exercise. It all comes down to the fact that we have a strong sense of mutual trust and understanding," explained the Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (5SIR).

Speaking to cyberpioneer after the successful conclusion of Exercise Safkar Indopura, an annual bilateral exercise between the Singapore Army and the TNI-AD, he added that this year's exercise saw the inaugural conduct of urban operations training at the Murai Urban Training Facility (MUTF).

This new urban training facility boasts a wide variety of realistic urban terrains that allows the soldiers to put their tactical strategies into practice, as well as an indoor tracking system to monitor the happenings within the buildings.

LTC Hariyanto, CO of 100 RAIDER Battalion, KODAM I (Military Area Command I), TNI-AD, shared that he was impressed with the SAF's equipment and capabilities, and found the soldiers to be very enthusiastic to train alongside each other.

About 400 personnel from Headquarters 3rd Singapore Infantry Brigade and 5 SIR participated in the exercise, which was held from 15 to 24 Nov. They were joined by 210 of their Indonesian counterparts from the 13th Infantry Brigade, KOSTRAD (Strategic Reserve Command) and 100 RAIDER Battalion.

Officiating at the closing ceremony together with Lieutenant-General Johanes Suryo Prabowo, Deputy Chief of Staff of the TNI-AD, Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Neo Kian Hong noted that this series of annual exercises has been "a key pillar of defence ties between our armies" since 1989.

"Exercise Safkar Indopura, the longest-standing bilateral exercise between the TNI-AD and the Singapore Army... plays an important role in enhancing relations between Singapore and Indonesia," he said.

"For the past 21 years, [it] has allowed both armies to learn from each other in the areas of professional interest... and I am confident that this spirit of open sharing and mutual learning will continue in future exercises."

Echoing MG Neo's view was First Sergeant Hady PN from the 100 RAIDER Battalion, who felt that the exercise was an good learning experience. A first-time participant in Exercise Safkar Indopura, he said that he had "made many close friends with the SAF personnel", and was glad that they could openly discuss and exchange knowledge on tactics and procedures.

Second Sergeant Lee Wei Long, a Machine Gun Commander from 5SIR, agreed, adding: "We learnt a lot about each other's culture and the way we fight in urban operations."

"I'm looking forward to the next Safkar Indopura exercise, and hopefully, it'll be over a longer period so that we can gain even more experience from each other."

24 Nov 09 - Singapore and Indonesian Armies in Bilateral Exercise