Bangladesh should change the perception of the US & EU. The US Navy helped Bangladesh Navy a lot. Another great example.
US enhances complexity of multilateral maritime exercise with Southeast Asian navies
Ridzwan Rahmat, Singapore - Jane's Navy International
28 August 2018
Philippine Naval Special Operations Group taking part in VBSS drills at ‘SEACAT' 2017’. The 2018 iteration is being enhanced with more complex boarding scenarios. Source: US Navy
Key Points
- A long-running US-led multilateral maritime exercise in Southeast Asia is being enhanced with more complex scenarios
- Enhancements are being made as part of efforts to improve information sharing and interoperability between the services
In a bid to improve its interoperability with navies in Southeast Asia, the US Navy (USN) is increasing the complexity of scenarios that will be used in an annual multilateral maritime exercise in the region.
The series of drills, known as Southeast Asia Co-operation and Training (SEACAT), is in its 17th iteration in 2018. A ceremony to mark its commencement was held at Singapore’s RSS Singapura – Changi Naval Base on 27 August, and participating in the exercise this year are services from Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
As part of the series, the US Coast Guard (USCG) will conduct a visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) workshop in Manila, Philippines. This will be followed by a sea phase that will feature about 15 combined boarding operations across three vessels.
“This year will incorporate increasingly complex maritime interdiction scenarios to emphasise ‘real world, real time’ practice,” according to a statement from the USN’s Commander, Task Force 73 (CTF 73). “Scenarios will involve sharing information from all available sources including Singapore’s Information Fusion Center (IFC) and Maritime Operations Centers (MOC) in Brunei, Philippines, and Thailand.
Some of the scenarios will also be enhanced further with the inclusion of an aircraft. “Based on the situation, ships and aircrafts from participating navies and coastguards, including the USN’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, will investigate and conduct at-sea boardings as necessary,” the statement added.
In addition, participating services will also utilise the US Department of Defense’s Combined Enterprise Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS) communication network.
