SEACAT Exercise Launches with 16 Indo‑Pacific Nations

Maritime forces from 16 Indo‑Pacific partner nations began the 25th Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise in Singapore on 4 August 2026. The multilateral drill, organized by the U.S. Navy, aims to improve cooperation and collective response to maritime crises such as search‑and‑rescue, illegal fishing, contraband smuggling and sovereignty incursions.

The shore phase in Singapore features a new Maritime Operations Forum that merges previous operations and intelligence workshops, allowing participants to share best practices and refine integrated maritime processes. In the subsequent sea phase, the navies will track and intercept simulated vessels, providing real‑time sensor cueing to partner operational centres, patrol aircraft and surface assets.

Participating countries include Bangladesh, Brunei, Canada, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the United States. The exercise is intended to enhance collective capacity to detect, deter and counter modern maritime threats in accordance with international law.