European Union and Indonesia organise first joint naval exercise in the Arabian Sea

On 14 and 15 August 2022, the European Union (EU) and Indonesia conducted their first joint naval exercise in the Arabian Sea.

The Sigma corvette "Sultan Iskandar Muda" of the Indonesian Navy and the Italian frigate "Virginio Fasan" (Bergamini-class) of the European Union Naval Force - Somalia - Operation ATALANTA took part in the exercise. The exercise was based on the scenario of an anti-piracy operation. It included helicopter landings on deck, complex tactical manoeuvres at sea, boarding of suspicious vessels and replenishment of fuel supplies at sea (Replenishment at Sea RAS). The EU project CRIMARIO (Critical Maritime Routes in the Indo-Pacific) provided its IORIS (Indo-Pacific Regional Information Sharing) platform for communication between the exercise participants.

The Indonesian "Sultan Iskandar Muda" has just completed a deployment with the Maritime Task Force of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon). Through its active contribution to peacekeeping missions, Indonesia is making a tangible contribution to international peace and security in accordance with the United Nations Charter. Both Indonesia and the EU support a rules-based international order and effective multilateralism, with the United Nations at its centre.

The EU and Indonesia regularly conduct a security policy dialogue to strengthen cooperation on security issues. At the sixth meeting of the dialogue in November 2021, maritime security was discussed alongside counter-terrorism and violent extremism, counter-narcotics, peacekeeping and crisis management, cyber security, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and disaster management. The EU regards Indonesia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as important partners in the implementation of the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The EU and Indonesia intend to strengthen their operational co-operation at sea, including joint naval exercises and port calls.

EU NAVFOR - Somalia - Operation ATALANTA plays an important role in the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy. It supports the Somali government in its joint efforts to promote peace and stability in Somalia and the Horn of Africa, and to develop and improve maritime security in the region.

The German Navy was not involved in this operation. Operation ATALANTA was a focal point of the German Navy in this region for many years. However, it was withdrawn for several reasons, more on this in a later issue of marineforum.

Source: MilitaryLeak, hsc