ADMM-PLUS NAVIES ENHANCE COOPERATION IN MARITIME SECURITY EXERCISE

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) joined navies from 12 other countries at the inaugural ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Maritime Security Field Training Exercise, to enhance cooperation in multilateral maritime security.

Held from 29 Sep to 2 Oct at Jervis Bay, Australia, the exercise saw RSS Endeavour working together with ships from Australia, Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

Participants took part in air and boat boarding demonstrations, investigative boarding exercises, major ship manoeuvring, flying operations, communications testing and other seamanship serials.

RSS Endeavour was one of the main platforms for boarding operations in the exercise. Sailors from the Royal Australian Navy, Philippine Navy and Royal Thai Navy, boarded the Landing Ship Tank. On board the ship, RSN personnel conducted professional discussions on ship boarding operations with their foreign counterparts.

The exercise was the flagship activity under Australia's and Malaysia's co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security.

Commodore Peter Leavy, Commander Warfare College, Royal Australian Navy, said the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security exercise was focused on building a common understanding.

"The overarching goal is to promote information sharing and develop a baseline for communications at sea between ADMM-Plus countries," he said.

Major (MAJ) Ooi Loong, Commanding Officer of RSS Endeavour, added that the exercise allowed the different navies to understand one another's operations and pave the way for interoperability.

"This helps to establish a common operating protocol when we are required to conduct multilateral ship boarding operations in this region," he said.

Over 100 RSN personnel took part in the exercise. Among them was Corporal First Class Edwin Chua Ming Long, a navigation specialist, who helped to ensure that RSS Endeavour kept a safe distance from other ships during the sea manoeuvring operations.

He said: "The tactical movements with foreign navies have opened my eyes to a new level of coordination and precision in manoeuvring."

Military Expert 1 Satchithanadan s/o Panneer Selvam, a communications systems operator, said he learned more about the challenges of radio communication in a multilateral exercise. He had to get used to the different accents of his foreign counterparts.