DABO SINGKEP, Indonesia -- During Exercise Super Garuda Shield 25, a detachment from 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company (ANGLICO), Marine Rotational Force — Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3, supported a multi-national amphibious exercise off the coast of Dabo Singkep, Indonesia. MRF-D’s ANGLICO Marines plugged directly into the joint and combined force, serving as connective tissue critical for aircraft and fires control in the exercise battlespace.
1st ANGLICO operated alongside a combined arms team consisting of Indonesian and Australian fighter aircraft, U.S. Navy patrol aircraft, naval forces from Indonesia, Japan, and the United States, and ground forces from Australia, Japan, the Netherlands, Indonesia, working hand-in-hand to seize a defended amphibious objective.
Prior to the live-fire event, the multi-national team spent days conducting rehearsals and coordinating plans. Deliberate procedures for communications were established, including drills to rehearse smooth transitions between fire support and amphibious assault. The MRF-D ANGLICO team’s expertise in expeditionary communications enabled participating fire support to accurately hit their targets. Conducting rehearsals allowed observers to successfully work through friction and test their procedures, as well as exchanging ideas and procedures with Australian, Japanese, and Indonesian partners.
On the day of execution, the MRF-D ANGLICO team effectively partnered with Australian and Indonesian tactical air control forces in order to observe the airspace and become key-enablers for Australian F-35As, Indonesian F-16s, and a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon to successfully find, fix, and engage their target.
“1st ANGLICO set conditions by relaying targets found by Australian F-35 sensors to U.S. Navy ships employing Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles to set conditions for friendly connectors to ingress,” said U.S. Marne Corps Capt. Erik Carlson, a forward air controller with 1st ANGLICO, MRF-D 25.3. “The Marines used P-8 sensors and other communications capabilities to find, fix, and engage enemy defensive positions with Naval Surface Fire Support from destroyer USS John Finn.”
Super Garuda Shield 25 afforded Marines unique opportunities to train in austere environments and realistic scenarios side-by-side with joint and combined forces within the Indo-Pacific region. ANGLICO Marines exchanged best practices for close air support and airspace management with Indonesian forward air controllers, increasing partner lethality across the Pacific. Additionally, the training provided MRF-D Marines the opportunity to train in new, remote locations not often accessed in past years. The ability for MRF-D Marines to insert, liaison, and execute complex training with allied and partner forces in these areas serves as a testament to the strength of defense relationships and multinational capability in the region.
“Training in this part of the world exposes Marines to unique operating environments and builds relationships with partners and allies that are stronger than any of us standing alone,” stated Carlson.
Exercises like Super Garuda Shield 25 offer a glimpse of the new norm for the MRF-D MAGTF. Throughout the rotation, MRF-D Marines consistently supported and led exercises with one common goal in mind: to teach, learn from, and strengthen partnerships with regional allies and partners to prepare for any crises and contingencies to come.