EXERCISE AMAN YOUYI 2018 MARKS ANOTHER MILESTONE TO ENHANCE RELATIONS BETWEEN PARTICIPATING NATIONS

PORT DICKSON, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Exercise Youyi 2018 marks another milestone not only to enhance relations between participating nations, but also aims to improve interoperability and capability building with regard to providing assistance to affected nations in the form of peace keeping or peace enforcement operationss, said Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Joint Force Commander, Vice Admiral Datuk Syed Zahiruddin Syed Osman.

He said it also provided a good opportunity for everyone to exchange ideas and experiences so that they would be able to plan and conduct future exercises for the betterment of the nation’s defence forces in operations such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, maritime security and counter terrorism.

"We are looking forward to active discussions and productive outcome from all the participants of the exercise. We also look forward to share common training matters and experiences with the hope of finding the best and most suitable approach of enhancing our personnel expertise in peace keeping operations or peace enforcement operations.

"Therefore, I would like to urge all participants of this exercise to learn as much from each other and function hand in hand in enhancing the degree of interoperability demanded by such complex mission. I am certain that the synergy created during this exercise would not only result in understanding each other's strength and shortcomings but develop a firm sense of esprit d'corps and  enhancing confidence building measures," he said at the opening ceremony of Exercise Youyi 2018 here today.

Exercise Youyi 2018 is a joint combined exercise conducted amongst the MAF, People's Liberation Army (PLA) and Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF).

Also present were PLA Deputy Chief of Joint Staff Central Military Commission (CMC) Lieutenant General Ma Yiming and RTARF Director of Joint Operation (J3), RTARF Headquarters Lieutenant General Suphot Malaniyom.

He said this exercise would be carried out around Port Dickson while the maritime segment would be conducted at the Straits of Malacca. The exercise takes place from October 22 to 29 and MALBATT Village being used as the main place for exercise participants.

Previously in 2014 and 2015 it was known as Exercise Peace and Friendship, a bilateral exercise between Malaysia and China. It was renamed as Exercise Youyi 2018 in 2016.

In 2016, RTARF participated in the exercise as observers while this year as exercise participants, hence making Exercise Youyi 2018 as a multilateral exercise.

Exercise Youyi 2018 is conducted in the form of staff exercise featuring on Peace Keeping Operations and Peace Enforcement Operations as the main theme and lane training on combat tracking, sniper, martial arts and close quarter battle. The PLA Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) will also engage in a number of ship-to-ship training.

Overall involvement is 1,339 personnel in the Exercise Youyi 2018 from three countries including four ships were involved in sea training.

-- BERNAMA