Strengthening maritime security through EU-supported coordination exercises

Beyond potential economic losses, any serious incident could have severe environmental consequences.

To address these risks, preparedness and coordination between civilian and military actors are essential.

A joint tabletop exercise in Thailand

With this objective, the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), together with PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), Thailand’s state-owned petroleum and natural gas company, organised a Tabletop Exercise (TTX) with the support of the EU-funded CRIMARIO project.

The exercise aimed to develop and validate coordination procedures between RTN and PTT, strengthening strategic understanding and improving command, control and communication mechanisms for commercial vessels operating in high-risk maritime areas.

At a broader level, the TTX sought to reinforce structured cooperation between naval authorities and commercial shipping stakeholders, enhancing civil–military partnerships that underpin the security and resilience of maritime routes critical to international trade.

Testing coordination and information exchange

The scenario focused on the passage of commercial vessels carrying sensitive cargo, such as crude oil, through high-risk areas. Participants tested coordination and information exchange between RTN and PTT, particularly in relation to vessel escort and protection using naval assets.

The exercise made extensive use of the IORIS platform, which enabled participants to practise real-time communication and coordination between the two organisations. As both RTN and PTT had received IORIS training in the days leading up to the exercise, the platform proved well suited to supporting the scenario and meeting the exercise objectives.

IORIS supporting a common operational picture

During the debriefing session, participants shared feedback on the effectiveness of IORIS. Captain Panuphun Rakkeo, Head of the Maritime Law Enforcement Division of the Royal Thai Navy, highlighted the platform’s contribution:

“Due to its specific capabilities, IORIS helped partners create a very clear and useful common operational picture, which enabled participants to have a shared understanding of the situation at sea, particularly concerning the positioning of vessels and their possible future actions.”

He also underlined the platform’s role in building trust and cooperation:

“Designed to support information exchange and coordination between partners, IORIS enabled participants to inform each other of their intentions, actions and outcomes. The constant exchange of information fostered open and constructive collaboration, increasing trust and confidence between the two organisations. IORIS was particularly valuable in facilitating the testing and improvement of existing standard operating procedures.”

EU support for regional maritime security

Commenting on the exercise, Alexandru Chiric, Southeast Asia representative of the EU CRIMARIO project, emphasised the value of joint activities:

“It has been a real pleasure to support an exercise of this quality. The high level of professionalism and engagement demonstrated by all participants shows the importance of regular joint exercises. Even in high-risk maritime areas, improved coordination and information sharing can help prevent incidents and reduce risks. We were particularly pleased to see IORIS effectively support decision-making and cooperation throughout the exercise.”

Next steps

Following the success of the tabletop exercise, a live exercise may be organised in the coming months. This would again make use of the IORIS platform to further test procedures and operational coordination in real-time conditions.

This exercise highlights the critical importance of preparedness, coordination and information sharing in an increasingly complex maritime security environment. Effective cooperation between military authorities and the civilian sector, supported by reliable EU-backed digital tools such as IORIS, remains essential to mitigating risks, protecting critical cargoes and preventing incidents with potentially severe economic and environmental consequences.