Strong Relations Forged as Singapore and Indonesia Conclude Exercise Chandrapura in Indonesia

SAF 1st Commando Battalion Commanding Officer LTC Kok Yi Long (left) and TNI KOPASSUS 32nd Battalion Commanding Officer MAJ Michael Ronald Simbolon (right) officiating the closing ceremony of Exercise Chandrapura 2025.

Soldiers from the SAF Commandos and TNI KOPASSUS advancing to secure their objective during Field Training Exercise (FTX).

Soldiers from the SAF Commandos and TNI KOPASSUS participating in the Live Firing.

An SAF Commando presenting the SAF’s airborne wings to a soldier from the TNI KOPASSUS as part of the airborne exercise exchange.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) 1st Commando Battalion and the Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI) Special Forces Command (KOPASSUS) successfully concluded the 31st edition of Exercise Chandrapura (XCP) held from 2 to 8 September 2025 in Singkawang, Indonesia. XCP reaffirms the continued commitment of both armed forces to further enhance the strong professional bonds and mutual trust cultivated through years of cooperation.

The participants exchanged professional knowledge on commando tactics, techniques, operational planning, culminating in a field training exercise (FTX) on jungle warfare, where both armed forces jointly launched an attack on an enemy objective. Through these shared experiences, including an airborne static line jump, soldiers from both armed forces built trust and camaraderie, and also strengthened their operational understanding.

The closing ceremony of XCP 2025 was jointly officiated by the SAF’s 1st Commando Battalion Commanding Officer LTC Kok Yi Long (left) and TNI KOPASSUS’s 32nd Battalion Commanding Officer MAJ Michael Ronald Simbolon (right). They witnessed an exchange of airborne wings between the two forces. Speaking at the closing ceremony, LTC Kok highlighted the significance of the exercise. He said, “The exercise highlights the commitment to our mutual cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia’s Armed Forces, especially between the Commandos and KOPASSUS. Today, the participants in front of us, stands testament to this network of friendships, brotherhood, and special trust that are built from our past cooperation.”

First conducted in 1994, the exercise underscores the strong and long-standing defence relationship between Singapore and Indonesia. Besides bilateral exercises, the Singapore Army and the Indonesian Army also engage in a wide range of activities, including official visits, professional exchanges, and cross-attendance of military courses. These regular interactions serve to enhance professionalism and foster mutual understanding between the two armed forces.