Asia Pacific Defense Forum Fall 2004

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Naval liaison officers from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines watch U.S
Photo by JOC Melinda Larson, USN

In this age of high operational tempo and real-world force commitments, where assets are often scarce, bringing liaison officers together with U.S. Navy ships in SEACAT and conducting the equivalent of six bilateral exercises simultaneously has significant training value. The exercise builds and enhances proficiency and personal relationships in a variety of skills that are mutually beneficial.

“SEACAT is a tremendous opportunity for the United States to work with regional navies to increase all nations’ capabilities to ensure safe seas and freedom of commerce,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Lothrop S. “Buzz” Little, Commander of Destroyer Squadron One, who led the U.S. task group in the exercise. Capt. Little was embarked on the USS Fort McHenry, which is part of the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s forward-deployed naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region.

“This is a very good exercise of navies coming together,” said Singapore Navy Capt. Kelvin Cheung. “Apart from the exercise, we have had interaction and are building personal relationships with our counterparts from other nations in our region.” Echoing these comments, Singapore Navy Capt. Jason Lee said, “It’s a good idea to share our resources and work together. SEACAT takes our training to the next level.” Capt. Lee has participated in every SEACAT since the exercise began in 2002.

While SEACAT does not involve directly training other countries’ military personnel, it does provide a forum for sharing techniques and expertise. The skills honed in SEACAT 2004 are applicable to many criminal and terroristic situations encountered by maritime forces. These skills will help keep the seas, so critical to the world’s economies, secure from the threats of terrorism and transnational crime.

An Indonesian Navy liaison officer and a U.S Coast Guardsman keep watch during a VBSS exercise aboard the USNS Concord (T-AFS 5).
Photo by JOC Melinda Larson, USN

A Singapore Navy officer aboard the USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) descends to a U.S. Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boat during the exercise.
Photo by JOSN David Ham, USN

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