SEACAT is a multilateral train designed to reinforce cooperation amongst Southeast Asian international locations and supply mutual assist and a typical purpose to deal with crises, contingencies, and unlawful actions within the maritime area utilizing standardized ways, strategies, and procedures. In a welcome return to normalcy, SEACAT 2022 was a full-scale, in-person train following primarily digital engagements and non-contact sea phases the earlier two years.
“These previous two weeks have reiterated what we already knew – our nations and maritime forces are smarter and stronger once we share info and work collectively.” mentioned Capt. Tom Ogden, commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7. “The in-person, multilateral collaboration exhibited in SEACAT has undoubtedly enhanced {our relationships} and promoted maritime safety throughout the Indo-Pacific.”
Twenty-one companion nations participated within the train, together with Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.
Ashore, SEACAT included a Maritime Area Consciousness (MDA) seminar that featured shows, stay query and reply classes, panel discussions, and interactive, small group breakout classes with representatives from all collaborating nations in addition to worldwide organizations, non-governmental organizations, and academia.
“The experience introduced by the collaborating worldwide and non-governmental organizations was invaluable and supplied sensible context to our multinational maritime train,” mentioned Ogden.
Non-military members included members of EU Important Maritime Route Wider Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO), Worldwide Prison Police Group (INTERPOL), Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research (IISS), Lee Kuan Yew College of Public Coverage, Nationwide College Singapore (LKYSPP NUS), The Pew Charitable Trusts, Threat Intelligence, S. Rajaratnam College of Worldwide Research (RSIS), Secure Seas, and United Nations Workplace of Medicine and Crime (UNODC).
The shore section additionally concerned an Unmanned Aerial Methods (UAS) workshop that introduced collectively UAS applications throughout the area to share greatest practices in UAS employment, planning and operations to develop and enhance MDA.
“This joint train introduced distinctive coaching alternatives for worldwide info sharing and bolstered the trusted partnerships between all nations concerned,” mentioned Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, Coast Guard Pacific Space commander. “Maritime Area Consciousness, which incorporates useful enter, collaboration and unity of effort from all companions, is essential to maritime governance and safety within the area.”
The ocean section included boarding operations by a number of nations throughout the contracted vessel designed to offer coaching alternatives in real-world at-sea environments. U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety Response Workforce (USCG MSRT) embarked the vessel and facilitated members’ interdictions and boardings, constructing on abilities practiced in the course of the shore section Go to, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) workshop.
Working concurrently with the ocean section, a command submit train at Singapore’s Data Fusion Heart served as a centralized hub for info sharing within the monitoring of the contracted service provider vessel simulating suspicious vessels of curiosity in seas all through Southeast Asia.
“Because the twenty first iteration of the SEACAT train collection, 2022 underscores the longstanding position of SEACAT as a key venue for regional allies and companions to deal with shared maritime safety priorities and considerations,” mentioned Ogden. “We stay up for following up SEACAT with routine cooperation day-to-day, after which elevated complexity and collaboration once we meet once more for SEACAT 2023.”
U.S. Navy members included employees from DESRON 7, P-8A Poseidon plane assigned to Activity Pressure 72, and personnel from Activity Pressure 76, U.S. seventh Fleet, and U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Because the U.S. Navy’s destroyer squadron forward-deployed in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the first tactical and operational commander of littoral fight ships rotationally deployed to Singapore, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7’s Sea Fight Commander, and builds partnerships by means of coaching workouts and military-to-military engagements.
Beneath Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, seventh Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with 35 maritime nations in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific area.
