Singapore Plays Central Role in Exercise SEACAT

This year’s multilateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise, an annual event conducted by the United States Navy which took place from August 12 to 23, 2024, focused on strengthening regional responses to maritime security threats.

The participants were Australia, Bangladesh, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Palau, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam.

This year’s SEACAT included a five-day shore-based program featuring a Senior Leaders’ Forum, maritime security seminar and workshop on Vessel Board Search and Seizure, followed by a week-long sea phase.

Royal Singapore Navy personnel from the Maritime Security Response Flotilla, Information Fusion Centre and Naval Diving Unit participated in the shore-based program which provided a platform for subject matter experts and participants to share best practices to handle maritime security threats in the region.

The exercise headquarters for the sea phase was set up at the Changi Command and Control Centre in RSS Singapura - Changi Naval Base. Participants received real-time updates on the maritime picture to identify vessels of interest in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, as well as from the South China Sea. The operations centers from the participating navies and coast guards were then cued to deploy aircraft and ships to investigate potential threats and carry out relevant operational responses.

The first SEACAT exercise was conducted in 2002.