The Proliferation Security Initiative - Implication for the Indian Ocean
![handle is hein.journals/ljmc20 and id is 97 raw text is: The Proliferation Security
Initiative-Implications for the Indian Ocean
Dr Anthony Bergin*
University College, University of New South Wales,
Australian Defence Force Academy
Introduction
On 13 September 2003 in the Coral Sea, an aerial search was conducted for
a simulated Japanese flagged vessel suspected of trafficking weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) related material. The vessel was located and tracked by
combined military and law enforcement assets from Japan, the US, France and
Australia with the agreement of the flag state (Japan).
The Japanese coastguard, working with officials from the three other coun-
tries involved, boarded and searched the vessel on the high seas. WMD-related
cargo was uncovered and seized. The vessel was escorted to Gladstone, Queens-
land for further law enforcement purposes. This was the scenario for exercise
Pacific Protector, the first in a series of maritime, air and land interdiction
training exercises agreed by members of the Proliferation Security Initiative
(PSI).]
In January 2004 several states participated in the US-led PSI exercise Sea
Saber in the Arabian Sea. In 2004 further exercises were also developed
around topical scenarios. They included an Italian-led interception air and sep-
arate maritime exercise in the Mediterranean, a German-led customs exercise,
a Polish-led ground interdiction exercise, and a French-led simulated air inter-
diction exercise. Eleven PSI interdiction exercises have been organised in
various regions of the world. The most recent was a maritime interdiction
exercise in Asia hosted by Japan in October 2004.2 These exercises follow
* This is a revised paper presented to the Second Indian Ocean Research Organisation
Conference, Iranian Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), Tehran, Iran
15-16 February 2004.
Senator Robert Hill, Minister for Defence, Australia, Exercise Pacific Protector, Press
Release, 9 September 2003.
2 Japan to Host the PSI Maritime Interdiction Exercise, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Japan, August 2004.
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARINE AND COASTAL LAW, Vol 20, No 1
© Koninklijke Brill NV, 2005](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/ljmc20&div=12&collection=journals&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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The Proliferation Security Initiative - Implication for the Indian Ocean
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