SAF Participates in Multilateral Exercise in Brunei

Exercise participants from Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand taking part in casualty evacuation training.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be participating in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) / Military Medicine (MM) Exercise in Brunei from 17 to 20 June 2013. Leading up to the exercise, all participating countries are presently involved in a Force Integration Training phase from 10 to 16 June 2013 which will involve symposiums, professional exchanges, area orientation, task familiarisation and cohesion activities.

The ADMM-Plus HADR/MM Exercise is jointly led by Brunei as the host country of the exercise, Singapore and Japan as the co-chairs of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on Military Medicine (EWG-MM) and Vietnam and China as the co-chairs of the ADMM-Plus Experts' Working Group on HADR (EWG-HADR). This exercise will involve approximately 1800 personnel, seven ships, 18 helicopters, military medical, engineering and search and rescue teams from the ADMM-Plus countries. The ADMM-Plus is made up of 18 countries, namely the ten ASEAN countries as well as Australia, China, Japan, India, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

The SAF will be participating with 340 personnel, one Landing Ship Tank (LST), four Super Puma helicopters as well as military medical and combat engineer assets. The SAF contingent is led by Director Joint Operations Brigadier-General (BG) Ngien Hoon Ping. BG Ngien expressed confidence that the ADMM-Plus HADR/MM Exercise will enhance inter-operability between the ADMM-Plus militaries in a HADR scenario. "The SAF is looking forward to contribute to the exercise in a meaningful way. The exercise will also foster confidence and enhance military-to-military relations across all levels," said BG Ngien.

During the ADMM-Plus HADR/MM Exercise, the SAF Medical Team will also be conducting medical socio-civic activities, such as dental services and health care screenings for the local community. In addition, the SAF and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) will be constructing a modular structure that will serve as a shelter and relief base for casualties and displaced personnel as part of the exercise play. Following the exercise, the modular structure will be jointly handed over to the local primary school as part of the community outreach programme. Singapore and Japan, as co-chairs of the EWG-MM, have also led in the development of the military medical aspects of the exercise together with Brunei. 

The 2nd ASEAN Militaries' HADR Exercise (AHX), co-hosted by Singapore and Brunei, will also be held in Brunei on 16 June 2013. Building on the success of the inaugural AHX co-hosted by Singapore and Indonesia in 2011, the 2nd AHX aims to promote the familiarisation of national and regional HADR management mechanisms amongst ASEAN militaries through the conduct of professional sharing and a scenario-based table-top exercise. The 2nd AHX will be attended by all ten ASEAN militaries. Chief of Defence Force of the SAF Major-General (MG) Ng Chee Meng and Commander of RBAF MG Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin will officiate at the closing ceremony of the exercise on the evening of 16 June 2013.

Participants from Australia, Brunei, China, Philippines, US and Singapore taking part in an exercise brief.