RMN, MMEA Conclude OSTEX WEST 2026 And SAMUDERA PERKASA 9/26 Exercises

IPOH, June 25 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) successfully conducted the OSTEX WEST 2026 and SAMUDERA PERKASA 9/26 Exercise, which started on June 14 and concluded today.

 The Western Fleet Command Headquarters' Strategic Communication Division said that OSTEX WEST is an annual exercise involving almost the entire assets of the RMN Western Fleet.

The SAMUDERA PERKASA exercise, on the other hand, is an annual one between the RMN and the MMEA that has been conducted since 2016, involving a small portion of assets from both agencies.

"The combination of both exercises has enhanced cooperation between the Royal Malaysian Navy  and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency from a small scale to a medium scale," according to the statement.

The closing ceremony of the exercises were held modestly at the Naval Region 3 Headquarters, Langkawi Naval Base this morning, which was also attended by the Commander of the Western Fleet, Vice Admiral Datuk Baharudin Wan Md Nor and MMEA acting deputy director-general (Operations) Vice Admiral Mohd Zawawi Abdullah 

The statement said that thie exercises involved 10 RMN vessels and three MMEA ships, as well as a RMN helicopter, with the concept of the exercises themed around maritime warfare and Search and Rescue (SAR).

Also involved in the exercises were the RMN's Special Warfare Forces (PASKAL) and the RMN's Maritime Special Operations Force, conducted at the Lumut Naval Base, the waters off the northern Melaka Strait to the waters off Langkawi, and the closing activities at the RMN Langkawi Base.

The statement also said that these exercises recorded another significant achievement when the RMN successfully conducted shooting training using aerial targets of the Target Drone type at sea.

The use of this technology to replace the absence of aerial target towing is seen as more cost-effective. In addition, it can still assist in the implementation of training and testing the capabilities of the sensor systems, ship's armament, and crew competence in facing aerial threats.

"This implementation also marks an important milestone for the RMN in its efforts to introduce new technologies and approaches to enhance the effectiveness of training and maritime operations," according to the statement.

In his closing speech, Baharudin said there are three important lessons to be learned, namely that although the core duties of the RMN and the MMEA are different, in reality, their operational areas are the same.

He said the exercises had also proven that both can and actually need to cooperate in ensuring the country's maritime security is guaranteed.

"Finally, actions taken such as the enhancement of cooperation between the RMN and MMEA in these exercises will shape the level of cooperation and the mindset of both parties' generations for the future," he said in the statement.

Therefore, the RMN and MMEA will continue to be committed to strengthening strategic cooperation through the continuous implementation of training and exercises, in line with the country's maritime security needs.

The statement added that the successful merger of OSTEX WEST 2026 and the SAMUDERA PERKASA 9/26 Exercise has set a new benchmark for efforts to strengthen synergy among the country's maritime agencies to ensure the interests and sovereignty of Malaysia's maritime domain are always preserved.

-- BERNAMA