Maldives, U.S. troops set to begin Tempest Wind 2022

August 7

Background:

The US has maintained friendly relations with Maldives since our independence in 1966. Maldives is represented in the US through its Permanent Mission to the UN, and US Naval vessels have regularly called at Malé in recent years.

The United States and Maldives have been deepening their military and political ties since the election of President Solih. In September 2020 the United States and Maldives signed a defence agreement with each other in Philadelphia.

US soldiers are deployed at all times to mentor foreign militaries in the region under the program Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB). Maldives Defence Chief, Major General Abdulla Shamaal, tweeted about the 5th SFAB rotation on March 25, 2021, saying that year-long discussions centred around increasing training engagements “have become a reality.”

Capt. Matthew Orders, a 5th SFAB team leader, claimed that his advisers have trained with a wide range of troops across the Maldives National Defence Force, including the presidential guard, the Maldives College of Defence and Security Studies, the marines, the coast guard and an integrated headquarters.

Video link for multimedia purposes: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/789829/capt-matt-orders-discusses-his-recent-experiences-maldives-with-5th-sfab

“They’re continuing to expand their capabilities, continuing to grow because of the political turbulence in the country over the past couple of decades. They have a relatively new structure to their military with new leadership, with new visions,” Captain Matthew Orders, of the 5th SFAB said.

Following the Indo-Pacific Environmental Security Forum (IPESF) hosted by both Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) at the beginning of August 2022, the Tempest Wind 2022 is the eleventh iteration of the Tempest Wind series of exercises; this is the fourth time it is being hosted in Maldives.

Exercise Tempest Winds 2022:

In the statement released by the U.S. Mission to Maldives today, the 7th of August 2022, they informed that the interagency counterterrorism exercise will take place within the Central Area of the country and upon the waters of Malé City area.

According to the U.S. Mission to Maldives, military personnel from Maldives and Hawaii will participate in complex events designed to rehearse counterterrorism (CT) strategy. This includes:

- Rehearsing senior decision-making and tactical responses, in order to develop joint capabilities and deepen the bilateral relationship between the countries.

- Test and improve the ability of both nations to rapidly plan, coordinate, and conduct CT operations.

- A command post exercise that tests the Maldivian and US forces’ ability to plan, command, and communicate with each other in a simulated environment.

- Assisting the region’s security forces to work together in responding to terrorist incidences, while deepening the CT partnership between the US and Maldives.

Tempest Wind exercises will facilitate a more comprehensive set of exchanges between the two countries to improve their ability to plan, coordinate, and conduct counterterrorism and security operations. The exercises will focus on tactical training with weapons, close-quarter combat, helicopter insertions, maritime boat operations, mission planning, communications and development.

In their press release, the U.S. Mission to Maldives affirms that these exercises are part of the USINDOPACOM’s military-to-military engagement program conducted with nations throughout the Indo-Pacific region, allowing U.S. forces to increase their own skills in diverse environments. They hope that this training will bolster the collective security and defensive capabilities of the bilateral relationship between Maldives and US.

To quote the U.S. Mission to Maldives, as in their press release, “Robust theatre exercise programs demonstrate US commitment to defending the rules-based international order, highlight our resolve to our partners, and build relationships between our forces. Tempest Wind strengthens international partnerships and regional partners’ ability to rapidly respond to crises throughout the region, promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific that brings peace, stability, and prosperity to all”.