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Navies Partner for Southeast Asia Maritime Security Exercise

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS060519-08
5/19/2006

From Commander Task Force 73 Public Affairs

USS TORTUGA, At Sea (NNS) -- The fifth annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) maritime security exercise began May 20 with the departure of a U.S. Navy task group from Okinawa.

SEACAT is a weeklong at-sea exercise designed to highlight the value of information sharing and multinational coordination within a scenario that gives participating navies practical maritime interception training opportunities.

With liaison officers from the navies of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand aboard, the task group’s command ship USS Tortuga (LSD 46) is serving as an information fusion center, as well as a simulated suspect merchant vessel while transiting to the South China Sea. The frigate USS Crommelin (FFG 37), destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70), the cutter USCGC Sherman (WHEC 720), and rescue and salvage ship USS Salvor (ARS 52) round out the task group. The Military Sealift Command ship MV Sgt. William R. Button (T-AK 3012) is also taking part, in the role of a suspect vessel.

The participating navies will track Tortuga and Button as the ships pass through territorial waters and take the action they consider appropriate within the scenario of the exercise, including boarding the vessels. Each nation will have the ability to communicate with its liaison officer aboard Tortuga, and pass information between nations if desired.

Throughout the week, the liaison officers will work with U.S. Navy counterparts to share and discuss planning considerations related to maritime interception operations. In addition to these discussions about doctrine, the liaison officers will develop maritime interception plans within the scenario.

“This is a great opportunity for our junior officers to gain some new insight into the thinking of professionals from other navies,” said Capt. Al Collins, commander of the exercise task group. U.S. officers will take part in watch standing teams alongside the liaison officers throughout the scenario. “Although each Navy’s participation in the exercise is bilateral with the U.S. Navy, we’ll work as a team to analyze the situation and produce recommended solutions for the liaison officers to propose to their individual headquarters.”

Collins said that any number of factors might affect a recommended action. For instance, a navy might choose to board a suspect vessel, or if assets are not immediately available, could choose to pass the information along to a neighboring country for potential action.

“We’ll not be dealing in right or wrong answers,” Collins said. “To be successful, maritime security has to be a collaborative effort. SEACAT is an open forum of sorts that gives us a chance to brainstorm responses to tactical maritime interception issues.”

During actual boardings of Tortuga by participating navies, U.S. Navy crew members trained in visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) will demonstrate their techniques, while witnessing those of their counterparts. An embarked U.S. Coast Guard maritime safety and security team will provide demonstrations aboard Button.

U.S. Navy maritime surveillance aircraft will also take part in the exercise.

SEACAT is a model of how navies can cooperate and work together to address issues of shared concern, including transnational crimes at sea. The first SEACAT was held in 2002.

Following SEACAT, the U.S. task group, under the command of Collins, who is commander of Destroyer Squadron 1, will transition into the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series. CARAT takes place sequentially over a period of three months with the armed forces of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

For more information on SEACAT, visit www.clwp.navy.mil/seacat2006.

For related news, visit the Logistics Group Western Pacific Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/clwp/.