SINGAPORE, BRUNEI MILITARIES CO-HOST CONFERENCE FOR ADMM-PLUS EXERCISE

The focus of this year's ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) exercise - maritime security and counter terrorism - was a timely one, said participants of the final planning conference (FPC) for the exercise.

Held in Singapore from 1 to 3 Mar, the conference was co-hosted by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Director of Joint Operations, Brigadier-General (BG) Desmond Tan and Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) Joint Force Commander, BG Haji Hamzah bin Haji Sahat.

BG Hamzah emphasised the importance of ensuring maritime security in the region, where many countries depend on open sea lines of communication for economic growth. He also highlighted the need for an international counter-terrorism exercise in light of the recent acts of terrorism around the world, noting that "we cannot take things for granted".

BG Desmond Tan added that the strong support of participating countries "sends a very strong signal about their resolve in dealing with these challenges and coming together collectively to find a solution".

Representatives from the 18 participating nations discussed various components of the exercise, such as the various participating assets, logistics management and inter-team communications support. They also took part in a table-top exercise to fine-tune the details and conduct of the overall exercise. A visit to the SAFTI training area, one of the exercise locations, was also included to familiarise participants with the place.

The ADMM-Plus maritime security and counter-terrorism exercise will be conducted from 2 to 12 May, with segments conducted in Singapore and Brunei. Participating countries include the 10 ASEAN nations along with Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.