ENHANCING HADR WORK WITHIN REGION

For three days from 12 Jul, more than 100 military personnel from ASEAN member countries will be working on improving Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) cooperation within the region, at the inaugural ASEAN HADR Table-Top Exercise.

First mooted by top military chiefs of ASEAN, the exercise, which is co-hosted by Singapore and Indonesia, aims to promote practical cooperation by familiarising regional armed forces with each other's mode of operation, identifying areas to boost HADR capacity and enhancing communications and coordination among the member nations.

As the first ASEAN HADR military exercise, it is a significant milestone for the regional grouping.

"The exercise will strengthen ASEAN's capacity and capability to marshal quick and decisive military responses to natural disasters in our region," said Brigadier-General (BG) Ngien Hoon Ping, Director, Joint Operations at his opening address to the military leaders gathered at the Multinational Operations & Exercise Centre in the Changi Command and Control (C2) Centre.

His counterpart Major-General Hambali Hanafiah, Assistant to Commander-in-Chief for Operations, Indonesian National Defence Forces (TNI), added: "It will not only enhance cooperation between the military forces, but also improve relations among the ASEAN countries."

During the exercise, participants will work with their counterparts from member nations to test and validate a set of standard operating procedures and guidelines to enhance interoperability between the ASEAN military forces and boost their preparedness for HADR. These standards will be formed under the framework of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response.

"Interactions like this exercise facilitate information-sharing, enhance transparency and build professional ties between military forces through increased familiarity with the different cultural norms, beliefs and working styles. These will help foster mutual understanding and personal relationships between our officers and servicemen at all levels," said BG Ngien.

In the first two days of the exercise, workshops and a scenario-based table-top exercise will be held at the Changi C2 Centre. On the third day, the exercise will be held in West Java, Indonesia and feature a helicopter-evacuation simulation involving assets from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the TNI. The two forces will also distribute relief packages to the local community.

As part of the exercise, a joint SAF-TNI team is also conducting a medical socio-civic programme in West Java from 12 to 14 Jul.