Exercise Coordinated Response (Ex COORES), a biennial multinational Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, was held from 28 to 30 October 2025 at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore.
Exercise Coordinated Response (Ex COORES), a biennial multinational Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise, was held from 28 to 30 October 2025 at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore. It was co-organized by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (Changi RHCC), Vietnam National Steering Committee for Civil Defense (VINASARCOM), and United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)’s Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. This year’s exercise involved the largest and most diverse group of participants to date, with 250 personnel from 39 militaries and 37 civilian organizations. It aimed to enhance mutual understanding and strengthen cooperation among regional humanitarian agencies.
In his remarks, Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral (VADM) Aaron Beng emphasized the importance of disaster preparedness training. He said, “Natural disasters do not recognize borders, and when they strike, swift, coordinated international assistance is essential. This is why it is critical for us to invest in COORES efforts, which include enhancing disaster response capabilities, strengthening interoperability between military and civilian organizations, and building the friendship and trust that underpins effective regional cooperation.”
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chief of Army Major-General (MG) Cai Dexian underscored the role of Ex COORES as the key platform to foster multinational cooperation and enhancing civil-military coordination in the vital domain of HADR. He said, “The increased participation not only enriches the exercise through exchanges from the depth of views and breadth of perspectives, but it is also a testament of our commitment by coming together towards building a common understanding and trust of one another.”
The exercise scenario was based on heavy rainfall resulting from a monsoon, aggravated by a Category 3/Level 14 typhoon that hit the eastern coast of Vietnam, resulting in flooding and landslides. Due to the impact of the disaster, the government of Vietnam established a Whole-of-Government approach to manage the disaster whilst accepting offers of assistance from the international community. The Table-Top Exercise replicated the response mechanisms of a Vietnam-led Multi-National Coordination Centre to conduct both Military-Military and Civil-Military coordination (CMCoord) with United Nations (UN) agencies.
This year’s exercise design also included increased CMCoord participation, where humanitarian agencies exchanged views, offered valuable perspectives, and enhanced the richness of the CMCoord discussions. Agencies and organizations included UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA), ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), and Vietnam Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership (DRRP) members including the World Health Organization, World Food Program, International Organization for Migration, Vietnam Disaster Prevention Community Fund, and Catholic Relief Services.
Ex COORES is one of three regional HADR events that Changi RHCC is organizing during the same week, alongside Humanitarian Futures Forums and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on HADR. Together, these events serve as complementary platforms providing opportunities for comprehensive discussions on HADR efforts, from exchanges of strategic insights to policy frameworks, and practical direct training.