The Indonesian and the U.S. navies' mariner units commenced on Wednesday a joint military exercise aimed at improving combat planning of both nations' mariner units.
The joint exercise, entitled Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) on Military Decision Making Process (MDMP), will run until Friday. It is being held in Indonesian mariner's base of Gedangan in the city of Sidoargo in East Java province.
"The SMEE MDMP program was created to enhance Indonesian navy's defense cooperation, particularly between Indonesian and the U.S. mariners so as to improve their war planning skills in every element," Indonesia's Mariner's Third Infantry Battalion Commander Prasetyo Pinandito said.
He said that the exercise has significantly improved the skills of the two countries' mariner units in combat planning, operation and created tactical warfare strategies after it was held in the last several years.
He asked every soldier taking part in the exercise to improve the "Marines Brotherhood" by making more intensive communication.
"By doing so, it would improve relations between the two nations and their mariners as well. I hope this exercise can be sequentially conducted in the future," he said in a statement.