Singapore Participates in Annual Multilateral Excercise SEACAT

Lieutenant Saunders Tan (third from left) and his foreign counterparts conducting a planning exercise at Changi Command and Control Centre during Exercise SEACAT.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is participating in the annual, multilateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise, together with navies from the United States, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. This year’s exercise, held from 5 to 9 October 2015, marks the 14th in the series.

The Exercise SEACAT series, which started in 2002, aims to enhance maritime information-sharing and the coordination of maritime security responses to piracy and maritime terrorism activities in the region. The RSN's Changi Command and Control Centre (CC2C) at Changi Naval Base will play a key role in the exercise, and host the exercise headquarters as the simulated Southeast Asia Maritime Information Coordination Centre for the sixth consecutive year. Participating navies will conduct their exercise planning at the CC2C. The CC2C provides a platform for information-sharing, which will strengthen collaboration and understanding among regional partners in maritime security. At sea, the navies will also conduct drills, which will include ship tracking as well as boarding operations involving vessels simulated to be engaging in terrorist-related activities.

Taking part this year from Singapore are personnel from the RSN's Maritime Security Task Force, which includes an Accompanying Sea Security Team. Assets involved in the exercise include a patrol vessel from the RSN, patrol boats from the Singapore Police Coast Guard, and a maritime patrol aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Air Force.