WPNS EXERCISES ADVANCE MUTUAL COOPERATION AND INFO-SHARING

Piracy and terrorism are key threats that transcend national boundaries and will require information-sharing among countries to provide better intelligence and early warning against such threats.

Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen said this at the opening ceremony of the 4th Western Pacific Mine Countermeasures (MCMEX) and Diving Exercise (DIVEX), which are conducted under the ambit of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS).

Dr Ng added that as a result, the Information Fusion Center (IFC) at the Changi Command and Control (C2) Centre was set up in 2009 to facilitate information-sharing cooperation among regional partners.

Currently, the IFC facilitates regular information exchanges with 38 operations centres and agencies across 25 countries. There are also International Liaison Officers (ILOs) from 10 countries attached to the centre.

"Their presence augments the ability of their respective countries to collectively provide a more accurate and timely assessment of threats and incidents, and facilitate operational coordination when needed," said Dr Ng during his opening address at the Changi C2 Centre on 25 Mar.

"The IFC has improved our awareness of maritime incidents and trends in this region and other parts of the world."

He also urged the members and observers of the WPNS to continue being "proactive in building platforms and capacity in information exchange and operational coordination to develop their readiness and to respond collectively should the need arise."

Held in Singapore from 25 Mar to 5 Apr, the two exercises will be conducted in the Singapore Strait and the waters off Pulau Bintan. Over 1000 personnel and 15 ships from 16 navies will be participating in the exercises.

Dr Ng lauded the high level of participation, which offered a "clear indication of the commitment of the Western Pacific navies to the continued development of regional cooperation".

"I am confident that all participants will benefit professionally from working together while, at the same time, establishing new friendships and deepening existing bonds."

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL) are co-hosting this year's MCMEX and DIVEX.

For the first time, this year's MCMEX will feature the deployment of unmanned water vehicles. It also involves coordinated mine countermeasures planning, real-time and post-mission analysis as well as the conduct of conventional and unmanned mine-hunting and minesweeping operations.

Exercise co-director Rear Admiral (RADM) Jackson Chia from the RSN noted that the introduction of ILOs in the exercise would also help officers to collate diverse information from their own sources to "collectively make sense of the information and provide better analysis".

Another advantage is that these ILOs serve as a link to their operational centres, thus providing greater expertise and experience when assessing potential threats.

"This is a first for the exercise and I think it will certainly set the benchmark for the future," said RADM Chia.

DIVEX, which involves professional sharing among naval Explosive Ordance Disposal forces, will incorporate surface and sub-surface operational responses against unconventional terrorist threats.

"This [exercise] is a good platform where we can share our knowledge with regional peers on the topic of dealing with explosives," said participant Master Sergeant (MSG) Neo Hwa Beng from the RSN.

In addition to the MCMEX and DIVEX, the 3rd Naval Medicine Seminar was held from 23 to 25 Mar as part of the WPNS. Medical practitioners from 10 countries were brought together to discuss topics on military diving and hyperbaric medicine.