Jakarta. French and Indonesian military personnel will train together in France later this year, giving a fresh impetus to the defense ties that have burgeoned as they own similar warplanes.

Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin unveiled plans for the drills, known as the “Garuda Guerrier”, when hosting his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin on Wednesday. He did not disclose the details, including how many men will join the training, except for the timeline. 

“We are currently planning the Garuda Guerrier joint exercise, which will be held in France this November,” Sjafrie told reporters just moments before the ministers had their closed-door talks.

“We shall pursue a stronger defense partnership that is not only limited to arms [procurement]. It is also bolstering our personnel's competence and professionalism, as well as the relations between our militaries.”

The Garuda Guerrier drills are not something new, with the last edition having only taken place in the West Javan regency of Majalengka in 2025. Indonesia’s land-based infantry took part in the exercise that aimed to exchange best practices.

Both ministers noted that defense ties had been enjoying strong momentum, among others, thanks to arms purchases.

A few years ago, Jakarta sealed an $8.1 billion deal with the French planemaker Dassault Aviation for 42 units of the Rafale fighter jets. The first six units have already joined the Indonesian Air Force. 

The state-run shipbuilder PT PAL is also now working on two Scorpène-class submarines using technologies from the French shipyard Naval Group.

Speaking to the press, Vautrin described Indonesia and France as “two sovereign countries that wish to work together”.

“Cooperation will enable interoperability for both of our militaries,” Vautrin said, while naming the 2026 Pégase mission as a “concrete example”.

The Pégase sees the French Air Force deploying several warplanes — including four Rafales and two A400M military transport aircraft — on a 40,000-kilometer journey, crossing three continents. The mission is currently making a stopover in Jakarta, where they show Indonesian pilots how to refuel their Rafale jets mid-air using an A330 tanker. 

According to Vautrin, French military academies will open its doors for Indonesians. 

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