JAKARTA: Some 2,200 military personnel and civilian officials from 19 countries are taking part in a major disaster response exercise in Indonesia, the largest exercise under the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework in a decade by personnel numbers.
Exercise Trident Resolve, held in Banten in Western Java from Sept 20 to 26, brings together all 11 Asean countries and eight partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
The last ADMM-Plus exercise with more participants was held in Singapore and Brunei in 2016. That maritime security and counter-terrorism exercise involved about 3,500 personnel from 18 countries, as well as 18 naval vessels and 25 aircraft.
Trident Resolve is the first ADMM-Plus combined field training exercise to bring together three expert working groups: cyber security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and military medicine.
Conducted across seven sites and at sea, it tests how militaries and civilian agencies coordinate in response to a large-scale disaster, including search and rescue, medical evacuation and treatment, chemical, biological and radiological response, and infrastructure repair.
The scenario involves an earthquake, an eruption of Anak Krakatau and a subsequent tsunami, said the Banten provincial government. It said Banten was particularly relevant given its long coastline, the Sunda Strait and the risk posed by volcanic activity at Anak Krakatau.
The volcano erupted earlier in September, spewing ash that disrupted air travel across Indonesia. Five journalists and three boat crew members subsequently went missing after setting out from Banten to cover the eruption. Indonesian rescuers called off the search after 10 days without finding them.
Anak Krakatau also triggered a tsunami in the Sunda Strait in 2018 that killed more than 400 people. The Banten government said that disaster underscored the importance of preparedness, early-warning systems and coordination between agencies.
Singapore has deployed landing ship tank RSS Endeavour, which has surgical capabilities aboard a rapidly deployable maritime container. It is operating alongside Indonesian hospital ship KRI dr. Soeharso, with both vessels supplementing shore-based medical facilities to treat simulated casualties.
Singapore is also supporting multinational coordination through the Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre.
Its OPERA computer information system draws together information from national disaster authorities and other sources and shares it with participating militaries through a web portal.
This gives responders a common picture of needs on the ground, ongoing relief operations and international assistance, helping them decide where to deploy resources while reducing gaps and duplication.
The system was used following the 2015 Nepal earthquake, when a team from Singapore’s Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (RHCC) deployed to Kathmandu to help the Nepal Army coordinate foreign military assistance.
Singapore Armed Forces personnel are also supporting Indonesian-led humanitarian efforts for local communities, including shelter construction and infrastructure works.
The exercise also marks the first field training exercise by the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Cyber Security, with participants practising how to protect information systems and information integrity from disruption or compromise during a multinational disaster response.
Senior defence officials from participating countries visited Banten on Sept 22 to observe the exercise.
Lieutenant-General Rui FGP. Duarte, Inspector-General of Indonesia’s Defence Ministry, described it as an “important milestone” in practical cooperation between ASEAN and its partners.
“Beyond its operational objectives, this exercise also strengthens trust and friendship amongst participating countries,” he said.
Indonesia is hosting the exercise, which is jointly organised by Australia and Cambodia for cyber security, Singapore and New Zealand for HADR, and Indonesia and the US for military medicine. - The Straits Times/ANN
