VZCZCXRO9051
RR RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHGP #0249/01 0370951
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060951Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY SINGAPORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2390
INFO RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHHJJPI/PACOM IDHS HONOLULU HI
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEAHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 000249 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
HOMELAND SECURITY FOR COAST GUARD 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHSA EWWT MARR ASEAN SN MY ID
SUBJECT:  SINGAPORE HOSTS FIRST-EVER ARF EXERCISE 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY:  Singapore hosted a multilateral Maritime Security 
Shore Exercise (SHOREX) January 22-23 -- the first exercise 
conducted under the auspices of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).  The 
exercise appeared to fulfill its goals of building capacity and 
demonstrating the advantages of close multilateral and interagency 
cooperation in responding to a maritime emergency.  Twenty-two 
member countries/organizations participated, with representatives 
coming mostly from operational maritime security agencies. 
Participants reported in a final debriefing that the exercise had 
been useful and instructive.  U.S. participants included 
representatives from the US Pacific Command, Coast Guard, Department 
of State, and Embassy.  Singapore views this event as a precedent 
for additional ARF exercises to improve operational cooperation in 
other areas, including disaster relief, search and rescue, law 
enforcement and environmental protection.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) On January 22-23, Singapore hosted a Maritime Security Shore 
Exercise (SHOREX), the first exercise activity conducted by the 
ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).  The SHOREX was designed to build 
capacity and to demonstrate the importance of multilateral and 
interagency cooperation, in particular information-sharing, in 
responding to a maritime security incident.  Participants were 
principally represQtatives of ARF members' operational maritime 
security agencies (including navies, coast guards and marine 
police), though other ministries, such as Transport and Foreign 
Affairs, were represented as well.  U.S. participants included naval 
and coast guard officers from US Pacific Command, Joint Interagency 
Task Force-West (JIATF-West) and PACAREA, as well as State 
Department officials.  Twenty-two ARF member countries and 
organizations participated, including representatives from China, 
Russia, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia. 
 
¶3.  (U) The SHOREX consisted of three phases, including a 
professional exchange, a table-top exercise and an operational 
simulation conducted at the Singapore Navy's Tactical Training 
Center.  The professional exchanges consisted of briefings by 
selected countries on various topics affecting maritime security, 
including search and rescue procedures, interagency coordination 
systems, border protection, international cooperation programs, and 
policy issues.  The U.S. briefing was unique in highlighting the 
importance of pre-arranged legal agreements in confronting various 
transnational maritime security threats.  The Singapore-based ReCAAP 
Information Sharing Center  also provided a briefing.  ReCAAP (the 
"Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed 
Robbery Against Ships in Asia") is mandated to share information and 
build capacity to address piracy. 
 
The Exercise 
---------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) The table-top exercise included discussions regarding 
appropriate responses to various situations involving a missing ship 
in international waters.  These discussions highlighted the need for 
multilateral efforts in addressing the potential security 
implications of such a maritime scenario.  The subsequent 
computer-based simulation involved working through the tactical 
response to the scenario, which highlighted the need for such 
factors as information sharing, decision-making architectures and 
pre-arranged agreements.  A debriefing at the end of the SHOREX 
indicated a high degree of satisfaction among participants that the 
exercise had met its goals.  Several expressed an interest in 
participating in future exercises. 
 
GOS Pleased, Hopes for More ARF Exercises 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Embassy and State Department officials met with MFA and 
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) officials after the 
SHOREX to discuss the exercise and other issues associated with 
maritime security in the Straits of Malacca.  MPA and MFA officials 
were clearly pleased with the result.  Recalling initial Indonesian 
and Malaysian suspicions that such an exercise might infringe 
sovereignty or turn into a thinly-vieled PSI event, our MPA contact 
reported that his Indonesian counterpart had found the exercise 
useful, suggesting that  additional exercises be held and supporting 
the need for "fixed protocols" in dealing with certain situations, 
such as search and rescue.  The Malaysian delegation had been 
considerably less engaged during the SHOREX than during the planning 
meeting, the GOS was not sure if that was due to substantive or 
logistical reasons.  The GOS officials thought the SHOREX had 
succeeded in raising ARF members' comfort level with joint 
exercises, and expressed hope that it would lead to other exercises, 
including operational field exercises.  In line with US views, they 
 
SINGAPORE 00000249  002 OF 002 
 
 
thought that additional functional areas for collaborative effort 
should be addressed, including disaster relief, search and rescue, 
counter-drug and other law enforcement issues, and environmental 
protection. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) GOS officials told us they thought Indonesia and Malaysia 
would continue to decline to participate in ReCAAP due to lingering 
sensitivites over the placement of the Information Center in 
SingapQe.  However, the ReCAAP Governing Council had decided the 
Center would provide relevant information to Indonesia and Malaysia 
at the operational level, hoping eventually to influence policy 
views after the utility of such sharing had been demonstrated.  To 
facilitate such an approach, ReCAAP's Governing Council had already 
approved collaboration with non-state parties.  GOS officials 
reiterated that it would be more helpful for the United States to 
delay any decision to accede to ReCAAP until Indonesia and Malaysia 
had decided to come on board. 
 
 
HERBOLD