| Siti Hajar |
AROUND 3,000 military personnel aboard 17 battleships departed for Singapore yesterday, where they will continue the second phase of the maritime security and counter-terrorism drill until May 8.
At the front and centre of this multinational fleet is the Royal Brunei Navy’s KDB Darussalam, which is carrying 60 Brunei participants, for the Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism Exercise in the South China Sea.
The ships left the Muara Navy Base at approximately 7.20am yesterday, assembling in military fashion as they slowly made their way out of Brunei Bay.
Once out in the open seas, the ships formed five columns, signifying the skill and professionalism of each ship’s ability to take stations safely within very close proximity of each other.
A crewman from Royal Brunei Airforce overlooking the vessel getting into formation for the PhotoEx
The picture shows one of five formations out at sea following the fleet’s departure from the Muara Naval Base. – PHOTOS: DEAN KASSIM
From an initial 2,000 yards or 1.82 kilometres apart at 44 kilometres from shore, to a tight 500 yards, or 450 metres, the fleet was led by Brunei’s KDB Darussalam, before separating into two tactical formations, which will later converge at the Changi Naval Base in Singapore for a land-storming counterterrorism exercise and a closing ceremony on May 10.
Until the battleships reach the second half of their journey, Brunei’s Multi-National Coordination Centre will pay close attention to the fleet’s mission, before handing over responsibilities to co-host Singapore, whose military personnel joined Australia for the Counter Terrorism Expert’s Working Group, while Brunei joined New Zealand for the maritime security aspect of the exercise.
Following Brunei’s 2013 hosting of the ADMM-Plus Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise, this year’s ADMM-Plus exercise is the second gathering of this magnitude combining Asean naval forces together with counterparts from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the United States.
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