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The ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Maritime Security and Counterterrorism Field Training Exercise kicks off at the Multinational Coordination Centre at the Muara Naval Base in the morning on May 3. Reporters of Asia Pacific Daily exclusively reported the opening ceremony on the same day.
ADMM-Plus Maritime Security and Counterterrorism Field Training Exercise kicks off at the Multinational Coordination Centre, Muara Naval Base. After the opening ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Brunei and China's military delegation visit the exercise command centre of China on May 3.Photo: APD reporter Huang Haimin
The opening ceremony of the Exercise held on May 3. Photo: APD reporter Jeffrey Wong
This joint exercise is conducted in Brunei and Singapore and the waters off the two countries and will last until May 12. Ten ASEAN members including Singapore, Vietnam, Philippine, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia and Brunei and its eight partners which includes China, Russia, the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India participate in this exercise.
Brunei's Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces Mohd Tawih attends the exercise opening ceremony and delivers opening remarks. Photo: APD reporter Huang Haimin
Brunei's Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces Mohd Tawih attends the exercise opening ceremony and delivers a speech. Chinese military officer Hu Weihua and Tang Yinchuan, the Captain of the missile destroyer "Lanzhou" attend the opening ceremony as well.
Tawih said in his opening remarks that this exercise will provide that much needed platform of transparency and open communication in order to reduce any tension, enhance trust and build depper cooperation among all the participating countries.
Brunei's Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces Mohd Tawih presses the button and officially kicks the exercise off on May 3. Photo: APD reporter Jeffrey Wong
Besides Myanmar and Laos, the participating countries send about a total of 3,000 personnel, 18 warships, 16 helicopters, two Maritime Patrol Aircraft, counter terrorism elements and shore based personnel from the participating ADMM-Plus Nations is involved in the exercise.
This exercise consists of three phases: the harbor phase (May 1 to May 4), the sea phase (May 5 to 8) and the phase of Singapore closing ceremony (May 9-12). The drills will include jointed military training, sailing in formation, escorting, searching at sea, helicopter landing on each other's warships, fighting against terrorism and other exercises.
Media reporting the opening of the ADMM-Plus Maritime Security and Counterterrorism Field Training Exercise on May 3. Photo: APD reporter Huang Haimin
The region of the Southeast Asia situated at a crucial global maritime location, where well equipped criminal groups remain active. The region is facing increasing threat from terrorism at the same time, and the maritime region and ports are becoming the preference of terrorism attacks.
To counter the threats, the multinational joint exercise this time is the first maritime security and anti-terrorism exercise under the framework of the ADMM-Plus.
It is a multilateral exercise which aims to enhance military cooperation and increase interoperability between participating countries in responding to maritime threats. The ADMM-Plus mechanism was proposed and founded by the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, with the purpose of enhancing the mutual trust and cooperation between ASEAN and relevant countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and jointly responding to transnational non-traditional security challenges.
(APD)
