Annual SEACAT 2016 to come to an end tomorrow

PHUKET: Navies from the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Malaysia will conclude their training and conference tomorrow, after spending two weeks at the Royal Thai Navy’s base in Phuket.

The drills and conferences are part of the annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism 2016 (SEACAT16) and are being held at Cape Panwa.

This year’s exercises and conferences, which aim to boost participating countries’ efficiency at combating terrorism, is being directed by the Royal Thai Navy’s Captain Puchong Rodnikorn.

“SEACAT16 is beneficial to all involved,” Capt Puchong told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon. “The exercise allows us to train and gain valuable skills while improving our working relationships with the navies of other countries.”

The exercises are analyzed by a multinational team, and the information on strategies and tactics to greater improve the efficiency of participating navies is shared between countries, Capt Puchong said.

This year, teams also carried out exercises testing an informational database that would allow the navies to exchange intelligence while monitoring suspicious vessels.

— Kongleaphy Keam