Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel of the BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407), PCG Islander 684, and Coast Guard Special Operations Force (CGSOF) participated in the Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) Exercise 2021 at the vicinity waters off Bataan on 14 August 2021.

Said initiative occurred following the Maritime Domain Awareness Symposium attended by PCG personnel on 10 to 13 August 2021 via virtual modality.

SEACAT is a multilateral exercise that aimed to address maritime security challenges, such as smuggling, piracy, and other illicit activities at sea by testing the PCG’s capability for maritime information exchange with the Information Fusion Centre (IFC), as well as by evaluating its operational capability in the conduct of Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Field Training Exercise (FTX) was contactless boarding.

The Command Post Exercise (CPX) was also conducted simultaneously, wherein participating countries utilized their Liaison Officers assigned at the Information Fusion Centre (IFC) Singapore as focal persons for all necessary coordination.

To conclude the SEACAT Exercise 2021, PCG personnel of the BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) and Coast Guard Aviation Force (CGAF) conducted sea phase activity at the vicinity waters off Patoyo Island, Palawan on 16 August 2021.