Bilateral military relationships alone won't be enough to deter aggression against Southeast Asian countries.

What these nations need is to maintain their strong multilateral military relationships by sharing information vital to thwarting external threats to the South China Sea (read China) and other waters, said U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Donald D. Gabrielson, Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific and Commander, Task Force 73/Singapore Area Coordinator.

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"We can have a strong bilateral relationship with any country in this region," said Adm. Gabrielson.

"But, if we are going to really operate on these threats, we need a multilateral approach, which allows us to share information with each other."

The United States and Singapore last August co-hosted the 15th annual Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise, a maritime security exercise, which was also joined by Indonesia and Malaysia.

SEACAT focuses on regional cooperation to address shared maritime security challenges like smuggling, piracy and other illicit activities at sea. It brings together liaison officers (LNOs) from Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and the United States to collaborate and execute practical maritime responses to multiple realistic scenarios.

"SEACAT enables nations to work through complex maritime security challenges in a cooperative and inclusive environment," said Adm. Gabrielson.

"Sharing ideas, innovation and experience allows us to learn from each other and capture best practices to prepare for real-world contingencies."

Adm. Gabrielson said the U.S. Navy conducted multilateral training in the Sulu Sea with Malaysia and the Philippines via the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) program last June.

CARAT is a series of annual bilateral military exercises conducted by United States Pacific Fleet with several member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The 22nd annual CARAT exercise was held with the Royal Thai Navy last June.

He said building a multilateral relationship requires trust.

"Trust must be present in the first place. It's an effort that requires a lot of thought and hard work." 

TagsU.S. Navy, Rear Admiral Donald D. Gabrielson, Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise, Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) program