The Operational Sea Training Exercise East to focus on anti-piracy and anti-hijacking

The Operational Sea Training Exercise East (Ostex East) will have special focus on aspects and operations of anti-piracy and anti-hijacking. ”This is the first of three Ostex exercises that are held each year and will involve 300 personnel, five naval vessels, an aircraft from the Royal Malaysia Air Force and a Learjet," he told after officiating Ostex East 1/09 at the Kota Kinabalu RMN naval base. Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) Region Two commander First Admiral Syed Zahiruddin Putra Syed Osman said this was to ensure that the navy here was always ready even though there had been no such cases in Sabah or Sarawak waters. "As all of you are aware, given the current trend due to the economic downturn, we are seeing and hearing of many piracy and hijacking activities in Somalia... recently there were cases in the Straits of Malacca and in Singaporean waters.So even though they have not been cases in Sabah and Sarawak waters we want to be ready. We are trained for that, if anything happens, we know how to react," Syed Zahiruddin said. The primary objective is to enhance the readiness of navy vessels to a maximum level and at the same time test the skills of sailors under the RMN Region Two command in discharging their duties.Syed Zahiruddin said additional features of the exercise this time are port defence training and war games exercises. “This is also the first time we are using RMAF aircraft," he added.