SEACAT is a multilateral train designed to boost cooperation amongst Indo-Pacific nations and supply mutual assist in the direction of addressing crises, contingencies, and unlawful actions within the maritime area utilizing standardized techniques, strategies, and procedures.
“This 12 months’s SEACAT is the biggest up to now, with 20 nations and 14 ships in attendance. All through the ashore and at-sea occasions, the objective is to enhance our capabilities to reply to crises, contingencies, or unlawful actions within the maritime area. SEACAT is essentially about enhancing data sharing and growing our collective maritime area consciousness,” stated U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Chris Stone, commander, Process Drive 76/3 and Expeditionary Strike Group 7. “I view multinational pressure operations because the cornerstone of maritime safety, which in flip contributes to peace and prosperity within the area and permits a free and open Indo-Pacific during which we collectively decide to following the worldwide rules-based order.”
The train permits for a number of exchanges and coaching on multilateral cooperation in assist of sustaining guidelines and norms within the maritime area throughout the Indo-Pacific. Throughout the opening ceremony for the train, U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Chris Stone, commander, Process Drive 76/3 and Expeditionary Strike Group 7, spoke in regards to the significance of partnership and dealing collectively to have the ability to present humanitarian help and catastrophe aid.
SEACAT promotes shared commitments to maritime partnerships, safety, and stability in Southeast Asia. Twenty nations participated this 12 months, together with Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.
For this iteration of SEACAT, the primary week of the train might be a shore section. This can embrace a maritime area consciousness (MDA) seminar and go to, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) workshop. The seminar options displays and interactive, small group breakout classes with representatives from all taking part nations. The VBSS workshop might be led by members of the U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Safety Response Crew (USCG MSRT).
Shore-based coaching will even embrace an unmanned aerial programs (UAS) workshop masking a broad vary of techniques and procedures for SEACAT individuals to develop MDA.
“Coaching collectively develops functionality and belief amongst taking part nations, fosters cooperation and supplies mutual assist in response to a disaster or criminal activity within the maritime area,” stated Capt. Sean Lewis, commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7. “The collaboration and superior maneuvers that we’re executing, the ability stage that’s on show, and the keenness of the individuals is unmatched. I’m frequently impressed after I see how a lot we are able to do collectively. Our success right here makes me assured in our means to develop stronger relationships with our companions and preserve continued peace and safety on this area.”
Throughout week two of the train, the ocean section, Singapore will function a centralized hub for disaster coordination and data sharing. International locations will work with all accessible MDA instruments to offer cueing and speak to data to a different nation’s operations middle and maritime patrol reconnaissance plane or floor property to additional advance interoperability. Contributors will even obtain coaching in boarding operations by a number of nations designed to simulate real-world at-sea environments. USCG MSRT members will embark the vessel and facilitate individuals’ VBSS coaching.
“All through SEACAT, I hope every of you’re taking the time to get to know one another, particularly these from nations apart from your personal,” stated Stone. “On the finish of SEACAT, I need all of us to have the ability to look again on our engagements and say we’re nearer to our desired finish states. It’s the relationships and expertise we construct in boards like these that we supply with us, all through the remainder of our fleets.
U.S. Navy individuals embrace workers of DESRON 7, a P-8A Poseidon plane assigned to Process Drive 72, and personnel from Process Drive 76/3, Navy Sealift Command Far East, U.S. seventh Fleet, and U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Because the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed DESRON in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the first tactical and operational commander of littoral fight ships rotationally deployed to Singapore, capabilities as Commander, Process Drive 76/3 Sea Fight Commander, and builds partnerships via coaching workout routines and military-to-military engagements because the executing agent of Commander, Process Group CARAT.
U.S. seventh Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and companions in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific area.
