China's transport ship arrives in Brunei

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - China's transport ship KUNLUN SHAN has arrived in Brunei's Muara Commercial port to send equipment and personnel required for ASEAN Defense Minister Meeting Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise (HADR & MM Ex) scheduled for June 16, the Defense Ministry of Brunei said Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the convoy of heavy vehicles will be traveling from Penanjong Garrison to exercise site in Temburong. The convoy will start at 4.00 am where they will be traveling through Muara- Tutong highway, Jerudong Road, Mulaut-Limau Manis Road and Kuala Lurah Road, the Defense Ministry said.

The ministry asked members of the public traveling using those roads or living nearby are advised not be alarmed by the movement of these military vehicle convoys, and refrain from entering the exercise sites for safety and security reasons.

The ministry also assures that inconveniences to the public will be minimized and controlled, while seeking the continued support and understanding of local residents in helping ensure the success of this multi-national field exercise.

Earlier, Brunei said it is ready to host the inaugural ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief and Military Medicine Exercise ( HADR & MM Ex) scheduled for June 16-20. This combined exercise will bring together more than 2,000 military personnel from the 10 ASEAN countries as well as the eight plus countries which include Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

According to the Defense Ministry of Brunei, the inaugural ADMM- Plus HADR & MM Exercise will be held back-to-back with the Second ASEAN Militaries' Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Exercise. Both exercises are the major deliverables during Brunei Darussalam's ADMM and ADMM-Plus chairmanship this year.

The exercise will be based on natural disaster scenarios affecting a fictitious state. Exercise play will focus on activities related to search and rescue, military medicine, engineer tasks and delivery and distribution of aid and supply by land, air and sea in the emergency phase of a "disaster".

The exercise is essentially a military-to-military cooperation exercise, designed to formulate and develop a common set of Standing Operating Procedures (SOPs).

The exercise objective is to elevate military practical cooperation from ASEAN level to ASEAN Plus level, and build upon ASEAN militaries' experiences of previous exercises. Essentially, the objective is to enhance military-to-military interoperability, coordination and cooperation amongst the 18 participating countries.

The multi-national field exercise is expected to take place in two districts in the country, with the sites located at Brunei Muara District - the Naval Base Muara, Rimba Air Base and Kampung Mentiri and; Temburong District - Bangar Community Hall, Kampung Biang, and Selangan Primary School. Among the expertise expected to be involve in the exercise include medical, engineers, search and rescue, naval and air components.