GCC DELEGATES VISIT RSN CHANGI C2 CENTRE
PHOTO // Chua Soon Lye
Members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were given a better understanding of the Republic of Singapore Navy's capabilities when they visited the Changi Command and Control (C2) Centre on 15 Jun.
Hosted by the commander of the Maritime Security Task Force, Colonel Jackson Chia, the visitors were given a tour of the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) and the Multinational Operations and Exercises Centre (MOEC), which are both housed at the Changi C2 Centre.
During the visit, they were briefed on the various maritime security operations conducted by these centres.
The IFC, which commemorated its first anniversary in May this year, collates and analyses shared information among participating navies and agencies. This enhances their collective situational awareness and facilitates the timely and effective operational responses by the international maritime community.
The centre also hosts eight International Liaison Officers from seven nations, who act as points of contacts for their respective countries.
The MOEC is designed to support the planning and conduct of multilateral operations and exercises.
Brigadier General (BG) Abdulla Saeed Al Mansoori, Commander of the Royal Bahrain Naval Force, led the GCC delegation, comprising senior naval officials from Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Commenting that the visit had been a good learning experience which gave them greater insight into the maritime security situation in the region, BG Al Mansoori said: "The GCC are looking into creating a centre like the one here in Singapore, and I think this is a model for our centre."
"I think the IFC is a very good centre which accomplishes its mission of collecting, analysing and sharing information between different navies and countries over the world... I am sure this will help them in ensuring that the seas are safe," he added.
This visit marks the first time the GCC has visited the Changi C2 Centre, and reflects the important role of the centre as a one-stop information and response coordination hub to meet Singapore's maritime security needs, as well as being a key node in the region's info-sharing network.
