Singapore Participates in ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise

Representatives from ASEAN Member States and Russia at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s Victory-class missile corvette RSS Vigour is participating in the ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise from 1 to 3 December 2021. The exercise is being conducted off Sabang, Indonesia, and involves eight ships and observers from ASEAN Member States and Russia.

During the sea phase, RSS Vigour joined the other ships in the conduct of various serials including communication and manoeuvring drills, a search and rescue exercise and a maritime security exercise. As part of the maritime security exercise, the participating ships tracked the movement of simulated vessels of interest, cued by alerts from the ASEAN International Liaison Officers attached to RSN's Information Fusion Centre. This was facilitated by the IFC's Real-Time Information-Sharing System (IRIS), a web-based information-sharing system designed for rapid maritime security collaboration. The exercise was also conducted in accordance with the Code for Unplanned Encounters At Sea (CUES), a confidence-building measure to promote maritime security, which was adopted by the ADMM-Plus navies in 2017 under Singapore and the Republic of Korea's co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Maritime Security. The exercise will conclude with a sailpast of all participating ships.

Commanding Officer of RSS Vigour Lieutenant Colonel Gavin Cheong said, "It is important for navies to cooperate with each other to protect our key maritime trade routes and work towards safer seas. This exercise allows the navies of ASEAN Member States and Russia to strengthen collaboration, enhance understanding and build confidence in our ability to address common maritime security challenges at sea."

Singapore's participation in the exercise reaffirms our support for the ADMM-Plus and our commitment to uphold an open and inclusive regional security architecture.

ASEAN International Liaison Officers and a Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) personnel tracking the movement of simulated vessels of interest using the RSN's Information Fusion Centre Real-time Information-sharing System during the exercise.

RSN personnel waving to representatives from participating countries on board KRI Lepu during an inspection of ships conducted after the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-Russia Naval Exercise.