PartnershipsSoutheast Asia

Multinational course bolsters security cooperation among Indonesia, Philippines, U.S., Vietnam

FORUM Staff

Coast Guard, law enforcement and fisheries personnel from Indonesia, the Philippines, the United States and Vietnam strengthened cooperation in mid-January 2025 with maritime security training.

The U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs funded the two-week course on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. It included instructors from the Philippine and U.S. Coast Guards, and Vietnam’s customs agency.

Trainers shared expertise on at-sea boardings, maritime law, evidence collection and preservation, safety and risk mitigation, and arrest techniques, according to the Philippine News Agency. Participants included members of the Philippine National Police Maritime Group, the Vietnam Customs Anti-Smuggling and Investigations Department, and the Vietnam Department of Fisheries Surveillance, along with Coast Guard personnel from all four nations. Australian Border Force members joined as observers.

“Together, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that our maritime sovereignty remains a zone of peace, safety and prosperity for all,” said Commodore Rejard Marfe, commander of Philippine Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao. He credited U.S. capabilities and resources with ensuring all four nations are equipped to counter maritime threats.

U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Christine Igisomar, seated from left, Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Rejard Marfe and U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Dana Schmitt join participants in a multinational maritime security course in the Philippines in January 2025.
IMAGE CREDIT: U.S. EMBASSY IN THE PHILIPPINES

U.S. officials underscored the interoperability participants demonstrated. “It’s exciting to witness the professional growth and confidence displayed by our multinational instructor group and student participants,” U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Dana Schmitt said. “We are impressed by their desire to not only master the technical aspects of the course but also to seamlessly interact with and assist one another to optimize the experience.”

The training comes as the People’s Republic of China (PRC) escalates tensions in the Indo-Pacific. The PRC claims almost the entire South China Sea in defiance of an international tribunal’s ruling that invalidated the assertion. Beijing has used its naval, coast guard and civilian vessels to block and harass fishing crews and patrols in the strategically important sea.

The PRC’s illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive actions inside Manila’s internationally recognized exclusive economic zone have fueled confrontations for years, including a violent 2024 clash in which China Coast Guard personnel destroyed Philippine Navy equipment and seriously injured a Philippine Sailor.

In October 2024, Hanoi protested a brutal assault on Vietnamese fishers by PRC law enforcement who attacked the men with iron bars and stole equipment. The crew was fishing near the Paracel Islands, which both nations claim.

Three times that same month, Indonesia drove away a China Coast Guard ship that disrupted an oil and gas survey in Indonesian waters, Jakarta’s Maritime Security Agency reported.

The U.S. and its Allies and Partners emphasize that waterways such as the South China Sea are vital to worldwide shipping and must remain open. Manila and Washington also have held maritime law enforcement courses in Palawan, Le Union and Cebu in the Philippines. More training is scheduled for 2025, and Philippine instructors will lead sessions for partner nations.

Meanwhile, Allies and Partners have recently bolstered partnerships in the Indo-Pacific with engagements including:

  • A Philippine-U.S. maritime cooperative activity in the South China Sea in mid-January.
  • A visit to the Philippines in mid-January by the U.S. deputy director and assistant deputy director of naval intelligence.
  • A 22-day U.S. Coast Guard deployment across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands to deter illegal activities and deliver humanitarian assistance in November and December 2024.
  • The Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise in October and November 2024 to build interoperability with the Royal Malaysian Navy.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button