PCG: In response to maritime security challenges, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) formally opens the vessel boarding workshop to be led by the US Coast Guard (USCG) in Manila which aims to combat global terrorism and illegal drugs proliferation as part of South East Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) Exercise, an annual multilateral maritime security information sharing exercise.

This year, the SEACAT Exercise 2017 comprises of three phases which kicks off with the conduct of Academic seminar to be held in Singapore on 21-25 August; Boarding workshop in Manila on 21-23 August; and Command Post Exercise in Singapore and Brunei, and the Sea phase to be conducted in the waters of South and South East Asia on the 28 August-01 September.

The Academic Phase will be participated by liaison officers of cooperating agencies which aims to harness skills in communicating, collaborating, analyzing the scenarios to be facilitated by the US Navy, and communicating to respective headquarters to promote regional coordination and interoperability.

One of the highlights of the said exercise is the conduct of Maritime Interdiction Operation (MIO) or Visit, Board and Search and Seizure (VBSS) Workshop to be led by the USCG Law Enforcement Detachment which will be participated by 45 representatives from the Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, Indonesian Coast Guard (BAKAMLA), Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL), Sri Lanka Navy, Royal Thai Navy, Vietnam Coast Guard, Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency, and Thai Maritime Law Enforcement Coordinating Center. During the boarding workshop, the use of force, positive control measures for compliant boarding and non-complaint crew members, multiple-man room entry, tactical movements through passageways and inspections, and practical and hands on scenarios with role players will be finally executed onboard PCG vessels, BRP Corregidor (AE-891), BRP Davao del Norte (SARV-3504) and MRRV 4404 “Capones”.

During the last phase, Command Post Exercise/ Field Training Exercise, a number of unscripted boarding provided by the US Navy will be carried out simultaneously in Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines. Aircrafts and vessels from participating navies and coast guards will investigate, conduct and execute practical maritime responses such as MIO or VBSS.

The SEACAT 2017 will also have two tracking and boarding scenarios in the Philippines that will be conducted by the PCG in the West off Subic, Zambales and Philippine Navy off Sulu Sea respectively.

The endeavor will be the first time for the PCG to host the said event since its launching in 2002 with six partner navies from Brunei, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and participated as an observer in 2016.