S'pore to host joint sea exercise

S'pore to host joint sea exercise

SINGAPORE: The navies of 14 countries in the Pacific Rim are
to hold their first joint sea exercise this weekend in the South
China Sea, the Straits Times newspaper reported on Thursday.

Fifteen ships as well as a number of maritime patrol planes
and helicopters will carry out two days of maneuvers to test how
well their ships and aircraft work together.

The exercise will involve warships exchanging information
electronically with each other and with the aircraft to obtain a
clearer picture of what lies beyond their visual horizons. They
also hope to improve their ability to cooperate during
emergencies, such as in mine-clearing work and search-and-rescue
operations.

The participating countries are among 18 that belong to a
group called the Western Pacific Naval Symposium. Member navies
include Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, France, Indonesia,
Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines,
Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Tonga, the United
States and Vietnam.

The grouping was started in 1988 for navies around the Pacific
to discuss maritime issues and promote mutual understanding
through the exchange of information. -- DPA