The organisation's new interest in HADR reflects broader concerns - most recently expressed at the Shangri-la Dialogue, held in Singapore from 2-4 June - where several speakers called for action to ensure a better response to natural disasters. The 2004 tsunami that devastated the Indian Ocean region, together with major earthquakes in Pakistan and Indonesia, have all generated major challenges for international relief operations. The FPDA will not try to co-ordinate relief efforts but, rather, build capacity and inter-operability among member countries. In the area of conventional capabilities, FPDA exercises have increasingly become joint operations since the change in focus in 2000. The first major joint exercise is planned for September 2007. Exercise 'Suman Protector' will be the group's largest ever command-post exercise, involving up to 700 participants together with air, maritime and land elements.
Robert Karniol JDW Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief
Bangkok
The sixth Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) defence ministers' meeting held in Singapore earlier in June saw participants agree to explore the development of capacity building and inter-operability in the area of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
The FPDA, launched 35 years ago, links Malaysia and Singapore with Australia, New Zealand and the UK. Its focus was shifted in 2000 from air defence to the development of joint capabilities and in 2004, ministers agreed that the organisation should broaden its capacity to address non-conventional threats.
An official told Jane's: "Since then the FPDA has successfully integrated maritime security serials into its exercises. We have also engaged non-military agencies such as Singapore's Police Coast Guard and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to take part in the maritime security component of FPDA exercises."
The organisation's new interest in HADR reflects broader concerns - most recently expressed at the Shangri-la Dialogue, held in Singapore from 2-4 June - where several speakers called for action to ensure a better response to natural disasters. The 2004 tsunami that devastated the Indian Ocean region, together with major earthquakes in Pakistan and Indonesia, have all generated major challenges for international relief operations.
The FPDA will not try to co-ordinate relief efforts but, rather, build capacity and inter-operability among member countries. In the area of conventional capabilities, FPDA exercises have increasingly become joint operations since the change in focus in 2000. The first major joint exercise is planned for September 2007. Exercise 'Suman Protector' will be the group's largest ever command-post exercise, involving up to 700 participants together with air, maritime and land elements.
The FPDA was originally launched to ensure the security of Malaysia and Singapore against outside aggression. In a statement released on the conclusion of their meeting on 5 June, defence ministers "reiterated the need to ensure that the FPDA continues to remain relevant to the changing strategic environment as well as the needs of its members".
