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2004-09-15 Southeast Asia
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Five-nation anti-terror drill played out at sea
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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". |
Continued from Page 1
Colonel Chew Men Leong, the RSN Fleet Commander and exercise director, said the counter-terrorism element in this year's exercise showcases the direction the grouping is taking to deal with terror attacks, especially at sea. Col Chew said previous exercises tested the FPDA's capabilities in combating threats such as mass raids by enemy ships and warplanes. He added: 'In the post-Sept 11 environment, it's insufficient for the FPDA to focus just on training against conventional threats. This will help position the FPDA to be able to deal with and fight the growing terrorism threat in the region.'
Bersama Lima got underway last Friday, with the deployment of 31 warships, two submarines, 60 aircraft and more than 3,500 personnel. It is one of the biggest FPDA drills, which are held annually, in recent years.
| That's a fair bit of fire-power. |
Besides the sea armada, air surveillance radars, anti-aircraft guns and missile batteries on shore are tested for their ability to defend Singapore and Malaysia against simulated air strikes.
Col Chew noted that air activity has been high, with aircraft making between 70 and 80 flights a day. A command-and-control centre has been set up at Paya Lebar Airbase. This command post marks another first for the FPDA, as computers used by the five defence forces are networked with one another. At Paya Lebar, commanders can manage the battle using computer-generated maps, which allow them to see where their ships or aircraft are positioned, and also chart 'friendly' and 'hostile' military movements.
The exercise ends next Saturday. 
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Posted by Steve White 2004-09-15 12:27:59 AM||
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