NEWS

NIU International Intelligence Fellows Tackle Maritime Security Issues in the Indo-Asia-Pacific

March 21, 2013

Over the last two years, National Intelligence University (NIU) and United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) have partnered to help focus Indo-Asia-Pacific nations' military intelligence leaders on themes of mutual concern. These efforts have been driven by the annual Asia-Pacific Intelligence Chiefs Conference (APICC) at which the Directors of Military Intelligence (DMIs) from about 30 Indo-Asian-Pacific nations, and extra regional nations with Indo-Asia-Pacific ties, meet to discuss regional issues. A key theme from the APICC dialog is the admonition to develop programs that provide capacity and expertise in areas of military intelligence interest in the region.

In 2012 NIU partnered with USPACOM to co-host the inaugural International Intelligence Fellows Program (IIFP) focused on intelligence support to combating terrorism in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. This served as a important building block to the counterterrorism dialog at the APICC held in Bangkok, Thailand later that year.

After receiving positive feedback from participants and leaders of the IIFP and APICC, USPACOM and NIU came together again to build the fourteenth iteration of the IIFP. This two-week course was held from 19 February to 8 March and focused on intelligence support to maritime security in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The course was held at DIA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. and USPACOM Headquarters in Hawaii, with the purpose of exposing the Fellows to the national and strategic perspective (D.C.), as well as to the operational and combatant command perspective (Hawaii).

The objective of the USPACOM portion of the IIFP was to inform the Maritime Security plenary dialogue of APICC 2013 with an academic venue to further explore the topic of Maritime Security. After exposure to a variety of teaching methods including case studies, small group exercises, and moderated panels, the IIFP participants were able to articulate a consensus for a "way ahead" for collaborative maritime security strategies.

2013 IIFP participants represented the following countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United States, and Vietnam. The Washington, D.C. portion began with DIA Director LTG Flynn discussing DIA's engagement with the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, and continued with keynote presentations from RADM Samuel Cox, Commander of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI), Director of the National Maritime Intelligence-Integration Office (NMIO), and RADM Christopher Tomney, Assistant Commandant, Intelligence and Criminal Investigations, United States Coast Guard. The Fellows received various perspectives on national-level maritime security during off-site visits to the Department of State, National Counter Terrorism Center, the Pentagon, and the Office of Naval Intelligence. Additionally, they engaged in discussions with subject matter experts from NIU faculty, the National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office (NMIO), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, National Intelligence Council, Defense Counterterrorism Center (DCTC), Global Maritime Operational Threat Response Coordination Center (GMCC), as well as the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard.

The Hawaii component began with a series of briefings at USPACOM Headquarters and discussions with its leadership. Rear Admiral Paul Becker, J2, USPACOM, hosted the Fellows. Briefings focused on the mission of the U.S. presence in the Indo-AsiaPacific Region, and included the following: Joint Intelligence Operations Center (JIOC), Strategic Planning Policy (J5), U.S. Pacific Fleet Command, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S, to include ship visits to the USN Guided Missile Cruiser USS PORT ROYAL and USCG Cutter INSERT NAME IN ALL CAPS. Customs and Border Protection, the Pacific Disaster Center, and Joint Task Force Homeland Defense as well the Field Intelligence Training Center, Pacific, based in San Diego. The Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies and the University of Hawaii East-West Center offered a variety of academic perspectives from subject matter experts, discussing topics ranging from energy security and water resources to piracy and relations between China and the United States. NIU's International Fellow from Singapore, LTC Patrick Poh, briefed as well on the Changi C2 Information Fusion Centre (IFC), launched in 2009 in Singapore's Changi Command and Control Centre (CC2C). The IFC brings together 45 agencies from 28 countries to provide actionable information to regional partners, aiming to enhance maritime situational awareness in the Indo-Asia Pacific Region.

At the conclusion of the program, the Fellows identified areas of mutual concern and potential cooperation for the global Maritime Security community, and articulated a consensus for a "way ahead." Proposed initial actions for improving international cooperation included the following:

• Expanding the scope of Singapore's Changi C2 Centre, both in capacity for information sharing and participants;
• Holding a Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) level tabletop exercise at the 2013 APICC which aims to identify roadblocks to information sharing, followed by an O-6/O-6 level tabletop to brainstorm solutions to the roadblocks identified by the DMIs;
• Creating a shared, interoperable database at the Indo-Asia Pacific regional level, to bring various information sharing tools together under one domain;
• Standarding international training and education at a central location which would also offer web-based courses.

While IIFP Fellows identified actionable steps towards tangible multi-lateral relationships, they also noted the value of simply coming together to share ideas. In commenting on the IIFP during the final exercise, one Fellow said, "Land divides. The seas unite. We are here to merge. We are not just members of various intelligence communities. We are now friends."

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