U.S’s Supported Multinational Small Boat Training Wraps Up in Batam

Batam: A multinational Small Boat Operator Instructor Development Course (SBO-IDC) concluded in Batam, Riau Islands, on January 30, 2026, marking the first time the program has been conducted with participants from multiple Southeast Asian countries.

The two-week course was organized by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) in partnership with Indonesia’s Maritime Security Agency (Bakamla RI), with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). Training took place at the Bakamla Anambas Training Center in Batam.

The program, which began on January 19, involved five USCG instructors training maritime law enforcement personnel from four countries. Participants included six officers from Bakamla RI, as well as two representatives each from the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Vietnamese Coast Guard.

The course focused on developing instructor-level competencies for small boat operations, covering basic navigation, boat-handling principles, and operational risk management. Practical training scenarios included man-overboard response, crew fatigue awareness, and motion sickness management.

USCG instructors from the Southeast Asia Training Team and the USCG Training Center Yorktown led the sessions, aimed at enabling participants to deliver standardized and safety-oriented training within their respective agencies.

The training was hosted at the Bakamla Anambas Training Center, which was built with U.S. funding and formally handed over to Bakamla in January 2024. Bakamla provided training facilities and accommodation for international participants.

The course builds on previous cooperation between Bakamla and the USCG, including bilateral small boat training conducted in 2023, and reflects ongoing efforts by Indonesia, the United States, and regional partners to strengthen maritime security cooperation in Southeast Asia.