The document summarizes the establishment and activities of the Expert Working Group on Maritime Security under the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus framework. It discusses the establishment of the EWG in 2011 by Malaysia and Australia to enhance maritime cooperation in the region. Key activities of the EWG included identifying priority maritime security challenges, exchanging perspectives on security issues, and conducting a field training exercise involving 13 countries in 2013 to promote practical cooperation and interoperability. The exercise helped identify lessons learned around communications, information sharing, and planning multilateral exercises. Overall, the EWG has grown positively since 2011 to address maritime security issues through cooperation.

1. Lessons for IONS from ADMM-Plus Maritime
Security Experts’ Working Group
By:
Suriani Ahmad
Ministry of Defence Malaysia
4th IONS, 27 March 2014,Perth, Australia

2. Establishing the Expert Working Group
(EWG)
Five focus areas
i. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
(HADR);
iii. Military Medicine (MM);
iv. Counter-Terrorism (CT);
v. Peacekeeping Operations
New area of focus – Humanitarian Mine Action

3. Establishing EWG on
Maritime Security (MS)
 Malaysia & Australia – Co-chairs 2011-2013 – EWG MS
 ADMM-Plus MS Experts’ Working Group Concept Paper
– agreed at the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’
Meeting-Plus (ADSOM-Plus) - April 2011 in Indonesia
Concept paper recognizes two things:
Important to secure sea
lines of communications,
for the economy and
security
Myriad of challenges

4. Establishing EWG on MS
 Commenced with identifying areas of common
interest across the spectrum of maritime security
challenges
 Further explored to develop practical initiatives for
defence and military cooperation
 The EWG aims at enhancing maritime cooperation
at multilateral level, analyzing significant maritime
security threats in the region and providing for wider
information sharing

5. Establishing EWG on MS
ASEAN Regional Forum Inter-sessional Meetings on
Maritime Security (ARF ISM MS),
ASEAN Maritime Forum (AMF)
Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy
and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP)
Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS)
Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS)
Work Plan Acknowledges Other Arrangements addressing MS concerns

6. Establishing EWG on MS
 The EWG only complements
 Starting up, focused on developing the common understanding
of maritime security, sharing of perspectives and developing
cooperative mechanisms acceptable to all ADMM-Plus
members
 Met twice a year
 2011, conducted meeting to identify common areas of
interest, priority challenges and concept for future cooperative
activities
 Later, exchange of perspectives on the security impacts of the
issues and to improve information sharing.
 2012, a scenario-based workshop to explore potential
cooperation and progress assessed and Work Plan refined
 2013, expected the information sharing would become more
systematic and credible and practical cooperation materialized
 Most frequently held, seven occasions since 2011, concluded
January 2014

7. Implementation of the EWG Activities
Field Training Exercise (FTX)
 FTX is to promote practical maritime co-operation in
information sharing among ADMM-Plus countries and build a
common understanding to establish and practice baseline
interoperability procedures in maritime security matters
 29 Sept - 1 October 2013 - HMAS Cresswell, Jervis Bay
 Process - Planning Conferences and Table Top Exercise (TTX)
 To prepare and structure the implementation of the FTX
through providing the possible scenarios and discussing
potential responses and courses of action
 Guiding principles to de-escalating situations, increase the
likelihood of safe outcomes for mariners and encourage
proactive assistance, support and partnership across ADMM-
Plus

8. Implementation of the EWG Activities
Field Training Exercise (FTX) cont..
 FTX has four key objectives:
i) To enhance mutual understanding and interoperability in
maritime security operations, focusing on boarding
exercises;
ii) To develop and trial an ADMM-Plus Maritime Security
communications and C2 architecture;
iii) To derive maximum individual and unit training benefit; and
iv) To contribute to regional engagement and maritime
security capability amongst ADMM-Plus countries.

9. Implementation of the EWG Activities
Field Training Exercise (FTX) cont..
 13 countries - focus on information sharing, building common
understanding and establishing an interoperability baseline
between ADMM-Plus countries
 Five main phases covering from preparatory briefings and
boarding demonstrations to post-exercise workshops to
identify achievements and improvements to the FTX.

10. Field Training Exercise (FTX):
Lessons Learnt
 FTX lessons learnt; among others:
i) Useful to have umpires from the boarding party and the
receiving ship.
Countries that do not assign a ship to participate should
provide boarding party with necessary equipment.
ii) Communications plan is important and beneficial. Useful to
translate key words and tactical/operational verbs into
various languages.

11. iii) Information sharing – the continued high level
collaboration between the Lead Planners of the different
navies and defence departments are very useful.
iv) Lack of familiarity with multi-lateral SOPs, publications
and language issues could be mitigated by a series of
planning conferences, exercise instructions and other
preparations.
Field Training Exercise (FTX):
Lessons Learnt (cont..)

12. Field Training Exercise (FTX):
Lessons Learnt (cont..)
v) Participating countries’ capabilities need to be effectively
incorporated into the planning process.
vi) Sufficient time for pre and post exercise meetings and equal
participation are needed.
vii) Early establishment of Logistics Cell is helpful.
viii) Useful to have lessons learnt workshop to gather comprehensive
findings.

13. Field Training Exercise (FTX):
Lessons Learnt (con’t)
 The strong demonstration of support for the exercise from
ADMM-Plus member countries
 Culmination of practical cooperation among EWG members
during the working group’s first term

14. Conclusion
 Since July 2011 in Perth to 7th meeting in January 2014, EWG
has grown positively – from identifying common interests, to
the constructive work plans and last year’s FTX in Jervis
Bay, Australia
 Achievement - within a span of approximately three
years, EWG members had grouped together and worked
towards addressing the current issues and how best resolved
in concert
 In line with the guiding principles of open and outward-looking

15. Thank You