A HEAVILY armed Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) team joined forces with men from four other navies off Pulau Tioman yesterday, to board and search a ship carrying 'illegal arms'. They stormed the slow-moving ship using foldable ladders hooked to its side and headed straight for its bridge - where the captain was - and engine room. The crew was assembled on deck and searched. As they boarded the target ship - a 141m-long British naval supply vessel RFA Grey Rover - a Royal New Zealand Navy helicopter, armed with machine guns, hovered overhead to provide cover.
The action-packed drama marked the first time in 33 years forces from the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) have staged a counter-terrorism exercise at sea. Yesterday's drill was staged for the media and diplomats from the FPDA nations - Australia, Britain, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore - as part of Exercise Bersama Lima (Malay for 'five in unity').
| The Indonesians participated too, they played the role of "pirates". |
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