Action stations! - Round-the-clock Coastal Patrol

While Singapore sleeps, nocturnal activities are afoot. A group of men brave the elements, hunch over navigational devices and peer through vision aids to steer you through hours of peaceful sleep. Sea patrols are mounted round the clock by the Republic of Singapore Navy's Coastal Command to safeguard Singapore's sovereignty, sea lines of communication and shipping lines, all vital components of Singapore's economy.

Cooling the hotspot

In March 2001, the International Maritime Bureau named Southeast Asia as a hotspot for sea piracy, raising concerns for merchants using the region's sea lanes such as the Singapore Straits and Straits of Malacca, arguably two of the busiest sea lanes in the world.

So is there a cause for concern?

"Sea robberies basically affect the security of shipping in any part of the world," said COL Kevin Santa Maria, Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) Coastal Command (COSCOM). COSCOM is responsible for managing all naval operations in the Singapore Straits and maintaining the coastal defence and security of Singapore and the Singapore Straits.

"But if you look at the Singapore Straits area, there has not been any piracy since 1992," he added.

COL Santa Maria attributed this to the outstanding work done by Singapore's Police Coast Guard, the RSN, as well as close cooperation with the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL).

"Always ready, first to act, first to be there"

... was how MAJ Chong Keng Shin described the operational readiness of COSCOM's Patrol Vessels (PVs).

Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, 182 Squadron's PVs and 189 Squadron's Anti-submarine Patrol Vessels (APVs) provide the main thrust of COSCOM's coastal patrol operations.

As Commanding Officer of RSS Resilience, MAJ Chong leads a crew of officers and men to conduct Maritime Surveillance and Naval Presence (MSNP) operations, with the main objective of keeping the Singapore Straits safe.

However, staying on the edge of operational readiness is not merely a simple business of looking and listening out for anomalies while at sea.

Rather, a detailed recipe comprising a potent combination of training, technology, joint operations and information management is the key.

Settling the nitty-gritty

Before embarking on an MSNP operation, the PV's readiness status in terms of manpower, rations, fuel and other operational aspects are mustered. At this point, the ship is not yet ready to leave COSCOM Headquarters at Tuas Naval Base.

MSG William Lo, Coxswain of RSS Resilience said: "Together with the ship's officers and myself, we'll give the Commanding Officer the patrol brief."

During the patrol brief, the Commanding Officer will be briefed by the ship's Coxswain, Navigation Officer, Communications and Intelligence Officer, Operations Officer and Executive Officer on issues ranging from the ship's operational status to the timings for sunrise and sunset.

Armed with the necessary information on the ships' readiness state, the area of operations and mission requirements, the Patrol Vessel is all set to start a round-the-clock patrol of the Singapore Straits, ready and equipped to extend beyond 24 hours should the need arise.

Shaping up for closing up

Ten years of sea-robbery-free sailing in the Singapore Straits does not mean complacency is allowed to set in at any point.

On the contrary, closing up drills are conducted without fail during MSNP operations to ensure the PV personnel maintain razor-sharp alertness and constant familiarisation with operating procedures for any contingencies.

In naval terms, the PV crew could be activated from a cruising operational watch to a Defence Station (50 per cent of the crew closing up) to an Action Station (100 per cent of the crew closing up).

In both forms of closing up stations, the personnel involved are specifically tasked in either starboard or port defence (right and left side of the ship respectively). Besides seaboard drills, shore training in the form of workshop sessions and discussions among commanders primed the defenders of our waters for contingencies.

COL Santa Maria said: "We make sure our operational plans are always updated and we are quick to change these plans if we find better ways to do things. We need to respond to the changing operational environment quickly."

Clearing the air for collaboration

Clear lines of communication play an important role in naval patrol operations such as the MSNP. For concerted collaboration efforts with external agencies, such as the Police Coast Guard, Maritime Port Authority of Singapore and the TNI-AL, keeping open lines of communication ensures speedy reaction to contingencies, and facilitates information sharing between the various enforcement agencies.

The collaborations also cover other areas, such as distress calls, search and rescue operations and even pollution control.

Constant communication between the ship's bridge, the Combat Information Centre and COSCOM's operations headquarters is essential for a co-ordinated and effective naval patrol mission.

Rising to operational challenges

With such a spectrum of operations that may be expected from a seemingly simple naval patrol mission, the challenge is to stay vigilant and react to specific requirements.

COL Santa Maria said: "It's a wide variety of operations that can happen any time, and our readiness has to be high so that we can execute these missions quickly." Other than training, drills and exercises, technology also plays an important part in attaining this readiness.

CPT John Lim, RSS Resilience's Communications and Electronics Officer, explained that the ship's advanced command and control, navigation and communications systems enable the identification of suspicious or distressed platforms. Knowing the exact bearings of these platforms also allows sharing of such information with other agencies for security purposes or distress situations.

"In naval warfare, localisation is very important because the party who knows the exact location of the other party will most likely win," said CPT Lim.

"In modern warfare, we do not have to visually see each other in order to engage."

The Indo-Sin Co-ordinated Patrol

Under the Indo-Sin Co-ordinated Patrol (ISCP), which started in 1992, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), the Police Coast Guard (PCG) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) take part in coordinated patrols in the Singapore Straits.

Information sharing through communication set-ups between the TNI-AL's operational centre in Tanjong Pinang and the RSN's operational centres have been effective in keeping the waters safe.

Cross-border pursuits by both navies into each country's waters to curb trans-border crimes have also been facilitated through the agreement. The ISCP has also improved the relationship and cooperation between the TNI-AL and the RSN.

In the air tonight

Operating within the outer regions of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Coastal Command's (COSCOM) area of operations, the Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) provides the RSN with forward surveillance of the maritime situation in the Malacca Straits and the South China Sea.

Said COL Santa Maria, Commander, COSCOM: "We therefore have a very good situational awareness of not just what's happening in the Singapore Straits, but beyond as well."

Outfitted with sophisticated surveillance radar and infra-red detection systems, the customised Fokker-50 aircraft is jointly operated by personnel from the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) and the RSN.

This is made possible by the close co-operation between the RSAF's 121 Squadron and the RSN, with RSN personnel manning the backend operations of the MPA.