Singapore Navy says terror attacks planned on oil tankers
Posted: 04 March 2010 1644 hrs

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1041481/1/.html

1st time I heard of this dept Singapore Navy Information Fusion Centre and even rarer for the RSN to send notice on terror attack possibilities

I wonder whether this is linked to the recent arrest of 3 in philippines with links to JI. Indo also arrested 13 in aceh raids linked to JI since feb 22.

Specialised units in SAF like SOF, NDU and helos would be placed on standby for sure.... plus extra focus could be on this area with more MPA flights or loitering time...... who knows maybe even our Challengers are there.....

IFC info at link below:

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_...27apr09_nr.html

Challengers don't seem exactly useful for that particular mission, no?

If any additional units are dispatched, the PVs or other surface units would seem a lot more likely?

Thanks for the link, Dzirhan.

as long as the tanker or watever monster ship dont end up squatting on the choke point...in sector 8, it should not cause too much distruption.



pulau sudong airbase located nearby... can be a suitable forward ops base.

but then again... why even allow such a ship (confirmed hijacked) to be even near the choke point.

would MINDEF push the button and hit the hijacked ship?

May not be a hijack...remember USS Cole? They might try it with larger explosives to leak fuel, which would be a big enough headache...

Its kinda disturbing. Abu Sayaaf has recently become more active, and Adroth posted a news piece saying a SG barge was hijacked by pirates off the east coast of Peninsula M'sia...Abu Sayaaf might have the reach...

But somehow I get the feeling the unrest in Southern Thailand has more to do with it. Aceh seems peaceful for good.

Information Fusion Centre (IFC) sounds like we are in the nuclear business and not in the intel business.

:blink:

I have the impression that the name IFC is an intelligence gathering and collating centre.

Me too. I think NIFC has evolved from Naval Intelligence Dept under Chief of Staff (Naval Staff) Office.

Well, anything got to do with intel services is kept under tight wrap, especially SG.

It can choked our SLOC thus hurt our international trade and also cause environment pollution!

Not so sure on IFC, last IMDEX, media was invited to go there and see the center, didn't go myself as had a number of things going on at the time it took place. An the SG Mindef did give out the info on it and had a cyberpioneer article on it. Most time not really something under wraps, just never covered by media :D

MINDEF article

Information Fusion Centre sound like those part time degree school name lol

yeah Challenger sub dont seem to be useful here as we need more show of force presence to deter the bad guy

I think submarines inclduing our own can still play a role in low intensity conflict. E.g, intel gathering ahead of the main fleet, anti-intel gathering, special forces insertion etc.

Now, this is what I don't understand. Why would a terrorist organization want to attack shipping? This is a mode of attack places them in direct confrontation with convention forces of states in one of the world's most patrolled waterways.

And its not like the were gonna just randomly sink ships with use of IEDs... They are specifically targeting oil tankers, allowing security forces to narrow in on what to protect and look out for.

it would be a spectacular attack because of those difficulties. it is one of those nightmare scenarios which the maritime agencies regularly/train exercises again.

We are warned as early as around 2004 that terrorist cell groups are planning to hijack tankers not to sink them but to sail them full speed into one of the Singapore's port and perhaps detonate explosives on them Speed II style. This will shut down the port for a very long time. This was evident when pirates hijacked a couple of ships and rather than robbing the ship and its crews, the pirate practices their navigation skills with it.

Anyway the RoRo (Roll on/Roll over), MV Hyundai 105 collided with an oil tanker and sunk just slightly off the shipping channels and sentosa with over 4000 cars, I don't see it posing any problems? May even be a popular diving spot in the future too.

Alert levels raised in response to warnings of terror attacks in Malacca Strait

By Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 05 March 2010 1422 hrs

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said all alert levels have been raised for the shipping community as well as in security measures in Singapore.

He was responding to a question in Parliament about the recent security alert in the Malacca Strait issued by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).

On Thursday, the RSN issued an alert saying it received indications that a terror group is planning attacks on oil tankers in the narrow waterway between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Mr Wong said: "As a result, the various security agencies have been working very closely with one another, including the RSN and also our foreign liaison partners. We are also working very closely with the shipping community and the Singapore Shippers Association has put out an alert to all its members."

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said the RSN took action - stepping up the frequency of patrols around Singapore waters.

The Maritime Security Task Force has also been coordinating a whole-of-government response with agencies such as the Police Coast Guard and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Mr Teo said: "As this issue illustrates, threats to maritime security continue to be real and immediate. Countering this threat requires a multiplicity of effort - by governments acting alone and in cooperation with one another.

"In our immediate region, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand have been conducting coordinated patrols to enhance the security of the Malacca Strait. Through these Malacca Strait patrols, the littoral states have continued to work together to combat maritime threats in this important body of water."

For the early detection of maritime threats and to coordinate response, Singapore has also set up the Information Fusion Centre at the Changi Command and Control Centre.

Mr Teo said this will "help to further enhance Singapore's position as a maritime security hub".

The centre has been purpose-built to collate and analyse information shared among an international network of partners, to facilitate timely and effective responses to maritime threats.

So far, six countries have stationed liaison officers at the centre. Mr Teo said more countries are expected to do so in the coming months.

Beyond threats at sea, the terror threat remains very real for Singapore. Mr Wong said that is because the appeal of extremist and terrorist ideology is very much alive. Terrorist tradecraft and methods are also evolving.

So Singapore has undertaken measures to harden its security, from the land checkpoints to the seas. High-risk targets such as the integrated resorts (IRs) have also been hardened.

To enhance response capacity for the IRs, the Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centre is already operational. The Fire Station will be operational next year.

However, Mr Wong stressed that the most important asset is still people. That is where initiatives like the Community Engagement Programme to strengthen the community's crisis response come into play.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has piloted a Threat-Oriented Passenger Screening Integrated System (TOPSIS) to train non-security communities, such as airport check-in counter staff to identify suspicious passengers.

- CNA/sc

Source of article:
CNA - Alert levels raised in response to warnings of terror attacks in Malacca Strait

well I guess they are confident of being able to hide in the traffic? they are pretty small ships, and at night its gonna be quite tough spotting them...IR can't cover that much area...

actually we spoiled the terrorists surprise by publicly calling their bluff and knowing they have a specific target in mind...however my fear is that they'll switch from the Malacca Straits to the South China Sea which is a lot more expansive...

its really good fortune that we've just come back from a deployment in the Gulf of Aden, and we've got an experienced partner, the RMN, on our side too. oh, and is it a stretch to say that we're fortunate we didn't send our LSTs, since we can deploy all four to cover as much ground as possible?

btw OT, I saw a G550 around CCK area this morning headed towards the south west...is that platform's AESA capable enough to do maritime patrols?

There's a lot of noise in this intel.

Looks like something important is crossing the Malacca Straits.

is it used nuclear waste that could be used to make dirty bombs ?

i heard an account from one source that in the past a particular european country which sent them on to japan for reprocessing, didnt even declare or let our people know they are coming by ship via the malacca straits.

it was some greenpeace activists who created a helluva noise by emailing our government agencies and letting them know that a particular ship, carrying that particular cargo was headed to Japan where they would reprocesses and store nuclear waste.

Post deleted. :ph43r:

MINDEF Public Affairs (PAFF) better get ready for the flood of media interest if the attack actually pans out.

Looking at how weak the directorate has become, PAFF is likely to defer to MICA or MHA to helm the resultant PR damage control.

Added something on media embeds on the blog.

Malaysia start to deploy Secruity forces...


Airplanes, patrol boats deployed


Sat, Mar 06, 2010
New Straits Times



MALAYSIA, KUALA LUMPUR: Police have assigned seven patrol boats and two airplanes to patrol the Straits of Malacca.

Marine Operation Force commander Datuk Isa Munir said four boats were deployed in southern area of the straits and three up north.

"The PX and PA boats each carries 17 and 8 men respectively. The boats are equipped with 20mm cannons.


"Our men are on high alert. We will stop and inspect any suspicious small craft near the hotspots areas."

Police Air Wing commander Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye said two Beechcraft King Air 350 airplanes would carry out air surveillance over the straits.

Operating out from the Sungai Besi Airbase, Chuah said the pilots would coordinate with the Marine Department to check on suspicious vessels.

-New Straits Times

Something big happening??

I wonder if there will be any joint maritime patrols...

I believed there is a kind of joint patrols between Indo, SG, MY & Thai already...seems some news on it a few years ago.

Paiseh, forgot to clarify, I meant specifically in this case...

Doubtful, anyhow the ongoing Malacca Straits Patrol isn't really a joint patrol but a coordinated patrol, in that each country patrols it's own stretch and informs the other countries about it and any developments that occur from the patrol.
Likely each country will just step up it's own patrols.

Edit to add: Just to add to CJ, think Singapore Mindef and RSN dropped the ball slightly here, given that such a release would become public, Mindef and RSN should have been ready to answer the media frenzy that occured and pre-empt speculation on the matter.

I wonder if PCG would send the new Shark class for Malacca Straits patrol, since they were intended for patrol around Pedra Branca areas.

wow, could it be these guys? Its says AQ in Aceh, and that's probably one of the best places to launch anything from, if they so wish to.