MULTINATIONAL, INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION AT PSI EXERCISE

A maritime interdiction operation at sea was the highlight of Exercise Deep Sabre II, a multinational Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) exercise where air surveillance and maritime assets from various participating nations were deployed to search, detect and track a merchant vessel suspected of carrying Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

Based on the exercise scenario that would see the vessel passing through Singapore waters, PSI forces came together at the Changi Command and Control Centre to gather intelligence and plan a coordinated response.

Said Major (MAJ) Thomas Goh, an Operations Planner from the Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF): "We have formed a Combined Coordination Centre here, where representatives from multiple nations oversee the running of operations for this PSI scenario.

"We've had a lot of interaction with the various representatives, and learned quite a bit from each other in terms of how each nation responds to such a scenario and their processes in developing plans to deal with such threats," he said.

Once the suspicious vessel was tracked down and located, the multi-agency plan kicked into action. An Accompanying Sea Security Team (ASSeT) - comprising personnel from the RSN and the Police Coast Guard (PCG) - as well as an Anti-Smuggling Team from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA), commenced board-and-search operations.

After combing the ship and conducting document checks, the security teams noticed suspicious spillage around a container on board. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Chemical Biological Radiological and Explosives (CBRE) team was then activated to ascertain the presence of hazardous materials.

Once the CBRE team confirmed that the ship does not pose a hazard to the port or other vessels, it was then secured by the ASSeT and towed back to Singapore for further investigation.

Next, a port search demonstration at Changi Naval Training Base showed how various agencies worked hand-in-hand to conduct a thorough search of the suspect container.

The ICA's scanning station was first deployed to check for signs of radiation before the CBRE team moved in, deploying remotely-operated robots to extract samples of the material for follow-up laboratory tests and analysis. The container was then re-sealed and impounded by Singapore Customs officers.

Teams from the United States, Japan and Australia also showcased their cargo inspection capabilities during the port search demonstration.

2SG Loh (left) and fellow CBRE team member, 1SG Lee Kah Meng prepare the Defender, a radiation-hardened robot which was deployed during the cargo inspection demonstration.

After breaking the container seal, the Defender extracts a sample of potentially toxic material and places it into a container that will subsequently be sealed by SC officers.

Commenting on how Exercise Deep Sabre II has been a positive learning experience, Second Sergeant (2SG) Jonathan Loh from the CBRE team said: "Being in this exercise allows me to see how other nations respond to similar threats and what their modus operandi is like. The personnel from other countries and agencies have also showed a keen interest in how we conduct our operations."

"I think by working together, we can integrate our approaches and come up with even better procedures that keep the operators safe and still deal with the threat effectively," he added.

Held from 27 to 30 Oct under the ambit of the PSI, Singapore is playing host to 2,000 personnel, 18 ships and eight aircraft from the military and agencies of 22 countries, which include Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.

Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) Angus Mitchell from the Royal Australian Navy commended the meticulous effort behind the planning and set-up of Exercise Deep Sabre II.

"The complexities of working in a multinational task force can never be underestimated... and the way the centre here has been set up to manage the flow of information and disseminate that out to the ships at sea is something that really needs to be tested out in a live environment, so I think it's imperative that we get involved in regional activities such as this," he said.

"The more nations get involved, the better our understanding of each other's capabilities. We can bring this experience on to the next time we work with our regional neighbours, whether in exercises or real-world incidents."

The four-day exercise will end on 30 Oct with a closing ceremony officiated by Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Chew Men Leong.

Singapore previously hosted Exercise Deep Sabre I the first PSI exercise held in South East Asia in 2005.