Singapore and Korean Navies Co-Host Multilateral Conference to Promote Submarine Safety in the Asia-Pacific Region

Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral (RADM) Lai Chung Han giving an opening address at the 2nd Submarine Operational Safety Conference.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) are co-hosting the 2nd Submarine Operational Safety Conference (SMOSC) from 29 May to 2 Jun at Jinhae Naval Base in the Republic of Korea. Singapore's Chief of Navy, Rear-Admiral (RADM) Lai Chung Han and the Republic of Korea's Chief of Naval Operation, Admiral (ADM) Jung Ho-sub jointly opened the conference on 29 May 2016. The conference saw the largest gathering of senior submariners and medical practitioners to share practices and experiences, as well as to discuss matters on submarine operations safety.

At the SMOSC, the participating navies discussed a range of reactive and preventive measures that could be taken to enhance submarine operations safety. The RSN proposed the idea of information-sharing via a Submarine Safety Information Portal, to provide information on vessels in the vicinity, and also to establish a set of Underwater Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) to guide collision avoidance actions.

The SMOSC is held in conjunction with Exercise Pacific Reach, a multilateral submarine escape and rescue exercise conducted from 25 May to 2 June 2016 in Jinhae Naval Base and Jeju Naval Base. The RSN is participating in this multilateral exercise with MV Swift Rescue, a submarine rescue support vessel, to conduct rescue drills with submarines from the ROKN and the Royal Australian Navy. This year's exercise, the seventh in the series, will also see participation from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, and the United States of America. Military observers from 22 countries, namely Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, France, India, Indonesia, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Vietnam will also be in attendance.

The RSN and the ROKN also signed the Submarine Rescue Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the sidelines of the exercise and conference. The purpose of this MOA is to enhance cooperation and collaboration in submarine rescue support between both navies.

The co-hosting of the SMOSC by the RSN and the ROKN underscore the warm and friendly defence relations between Singapore and the Republic of Korea. The RSN and the ROKN interact regularly through professional exchanges, visits and the cross-attendance of courses, and have cooperated in multinational counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. These interactions have enhanced the mutual rapport and understanding between both navies.