Singapore Sharpens Responses Against Maritime Threats in Multilateral Exercise SEACAT 2016

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) participated alongside eight other navies in the annual multilateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise from 22 to 26 August 2016. This year's exercise saw the largest number of navies participating, with navies from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and for the first time Bangladesh and Cambodia.

The RSN's Changi Command and Control Centre (CC2C) hosted the exercise headquarters for the seventh consecutive year. Since 2010, CC2C served as the Southeast Asian Maritime Information Centre for the SEACAT exercises and provided real time updates on the regional maritime picture and coordinated responses to maritime threats. The Liaison Officers at CC2C identified vessels suspected of illegal activities and alerted the forces out at sea to assist them to track, coordinate and defuse these maritime threats.

The RSN's Maritime Security Task Force (MSTF), as the lead agency in the exercise for Singapore, coordinated Singapore's operational responses to the maritime security threats. The responses included compliant boarding by an Accompanying Sea Security Team, and search and locate efforts by an RSN patrol vessel, a Singapore Police Coast Guard patrol boat and a Republic of Singapore Air Force maritime patrol aircraft.

The SEACAT series of exercises aims to enhance information-sharing and coordination of maritime security responses to maritime terrorism and piracy threats in the region. First established in 2002, this year marked the 15th anniversary of the SEACAT series of exercises.