The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA), Building Partner Capacity Department led a Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Multilateral Workshop, with key partners in the Indo-Pacific region, enhancing their ability to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

The four-day workshop was conducted in conjunction with the Republic of Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs Centre for Protective Security, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with various law enforcement partners from across the Government of Singapore, and police and customs officers from Brunei to enhance maritime security capabilities and CWMD capacity in the region.

This effort covered a wide variety of topics, including emerging biological threats, radiation safety and radiological and nuclear threats, chemical threats, international support for investigations, WMD defense, response, and detection. Additionally, this event provided partner nation security officials the fundamentals of WMD counter proliferation, risk assessment, WMD-related terrorism, and dual-use material transiting.  Participants gained a greater understanding of their own intra-agency systems in order to affect national authorities and regulatory agencies that oversee all aspects of security-sensitive material.

The U.S. participants briefed historical U.S. and international case study analyses.  Singaporean and Bruneian participants shared information on each nation’s inter-ministerial and international coordination for WMD detection, interdiction and response.

The end-of-course capstone exercise enabled participants to appreciate the value of a whole of government approach for effective detection, deterrence and interdiction techniques. 

DTRA, through our Building Partner Capacity activity will continue to seek opportunities to assist Singapore and Brunei to further our partnership to counter the proliferation of WMD.