AUMX exercise

Eight warships

Question: AUMX exercise held between which of the following countries?
(a) ASEAN and US
(b) Australia and US
(c) Australia And Ukraine
(d) Australia And Maldives
Answer: (a)
Related facts:

  • The U.S. Navy and Maritime forces from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will begin the first ASEAN-U.S. Maritime Exercise (AUMX) with opening ceremonies at Sattahip Naval Base, Thailand on September 02.
  • Co-led by the U.S. and Royal Thai navies, AUMX will consist of pre-sail activities in Thailand, Singapore and Brunei, followed by a sea phase in international waters in Southeast Asia, including the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea. The exercise will conclude in Singapore.
  • In all, AUMX includes eight warships and four aircraft from seven countries, and more than a thousand personnel representing all ten ASEAN member states and the United States.
  • AUMX promotes shared commitments to maritime partnerships, security and stability in Southeast Asia. Participating nations include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States and Vietnam.
  • Throughout the exercise, ASEAN member states and U.S. forces will operate together under a combined task force structure, executing a variety of realistic scenarios designed to reinforce interoperability in areas such as visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS), maritime domain awareness, division tactics and maritime asset tracking.
  • The task force headquarters will be located on board the Royal Thai Navy vessel HTMS Krabi (OPV 551), and include representatives from each ASEAN member state and the United States.
  • An ashore support element in Singapore will also host representatives from each ASEAN member state.
  • Commercial vessels have been contracted by the United States to serve as the simulated target vessels for the VBSS portion of the exercise, which will focus on countering maritime threats.

History of AMUX

  • AUMX was first proposed at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) in 2017 and confirmed during the 12th ADMM in October 2018.
  • While this is the first exercise of its kind with ASEAN, the U.S. Navy has conducted engagements, exercises and port visits in Southeast Asia for decades. In 2019, the 25th Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) bilateral exercise series commenced, along with the 18th Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) multilateral exercise.
  • The U.S. Navy also participates routinely in ADMM-Plus maritime security exercises, to promote peace and stability throughout the region.

Links:
https://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/1949503/asean-us-maritime-exercise-begins-in-thailand/
https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/warships-and-aircraft-ready-for-first-us-asean-maritime-drills/article29320131.ece