Singapore, Vietnam and US Co-Organise Multinational Exercise to Strengthen Cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief

Singapore's Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Cai Dexian delivering his remarks as he officiated the opening ceremony of Exercise COORDINATED RESPONSE (COORES) 2025.

Group photo of Ex COORES 2025 participants from 39 militaries and 37 civil organisations.

Military participants familiarising themselves with Changi RHCC’s OPERA Computer Information System (CIS) planning tool for enhanced regional coordination.

Exercise Coordinated Response (Ex COORES), a biennial multinational Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, was held from 28 to 30 October 2025 at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. It was co-organised by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (Changi RHCC), Vietnam National Steering Committee for Civil Defense (VINASARCOM), and United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)'s Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. This year’s exercise involved the largest and most diverse group of participants to date, with 250 personnel from 39 militaries and 37 civilian organisations. It aimed to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation among regional humanitarian agencies.

In his remarks, Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral (VADM) Aaron Beng emphasised the importance of disaster preparedness trainings. He said, “Natural disasters do not recognise borders, and when they strike, swift, coordinated international assistance is essential. This is why it is critical for us to invest in COORES efforts, which include enhancing disaster response capabilities, strengthening interoperability between military and civilian organisations, and building the friendship and trust that underpins effective regional cooperation.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Cai Dexian underscored the role of Ex COORES as the key platform to foster multinational cooperation and enhancing civil-military coordination in the vital domain of HADR. He said, “The increased participation not only enriches the exercise through exchanges from the depth of views and breadth of perspectives, but it is also a testament of our commitment by coming together towards building a common understanding and trust of one another.”

The exercise scenario was based on heavy rainfall resulting from a monsoon, aggravated by a Category 3/Level 14 typhoon that hit the eastern coast of Vietnam, resulting in flooding and landslides. Due to the impact of the disaster, the government of Vietnam established a Whole-of-Government approach to manage the disaster whilst accepting offers of assistance from the international community. The Table-Top Exercise replicated the response mechanisms of a Vietnam-led Multi-National Coordination Centre to conduct both Military-Military and Civil-Military coordination (CMCoord) with United Nations (UN) agencies.

This year's exercise design also included increased CMCoord participation, where humanitarian agencies exchanged views, offered valuable perspectives and enhanced the richness of the CMCoord discussions. Agencies and organisations include the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), and the Vietnam Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership (DRRP) members including the World Health Organization, World Food Programme, International Organization for Migration, Vietnam Disaster Prevention Community Fund, and Catholic Relief Services.

Ex COORES is one of three regional HADR events that Changi RHCC is organising during the same week, alongside Humanitarian Futures Forums and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on HADR. Together, these events serve as complementary platforms providing opportunities for comprehensive discussions on HADR efforts, from exchanges of strategic insights to policy frameworks, and practical hands-on training.

From right to left: Vietnam’s UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Pauline Tamesis, VINASARCOM’s Deputy Chief of Office, Senior Colonel Tran The Hien, Chief of Staff-Joint Staff, Brigadier-General (BG) Chan Ching Hao, Chief Guards Officer, BG Wong Pui Chuan, US Center for Excellence in Disaster Management & Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM)’s Deputy Director, Mr Steve Castonguay, at the Civil-Military Coordination (CMCoord) discussions between humanitarian and international organisation participants and military participants.