With a growing community now proficient in IORIS, spanning over 55 organizations across the Indo-Pacific, there is a need to foster deeper engagement at both national and regional levels.
What best way to involve different agencies through an exercise which will run continually in the Info-Pacific region? Sisyphus, an ongoing exercise in the Indo-Pacific designed by CRIMARIO to fortify IORIS adoption.
Encompassing all facets relevant to participating organizations, this initiative empowers IORIS users to bolster their confidence in the system, pinpoint procedural gaps, and establish connections with counterparts in different agencies across borders and oceans.
Since its commencement in October, the IORIS community has been invited to utilise the simulated tracking function on the platform, tracking vessels exhibiting suspicious behavior or requiring assistance.
Embarking from Madagascar, the Merchant Vessel Sisyphus, among others, has simulated various scenarios, including acting as narcotics runners, traversing vast oceans, occasionally functioning as a mother ship, and engaging with fishing vessels.
The exercise has traversed diverse waters, passing through Comoros, Mozambique, South Africa, Somalia, Yemen, Oman, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Mauritius. Cross-sectoral injects have been provided, addressing navigation safety, search and rescue, and other maritime challenges.
Continuing into January, the exercise will run around the clock with the assistance of CRIMARIO Country Representatives. The team will craft scenarios for one- or multi-day exercises, testing users’ reactivity, effectiveness, and competence, primarily in IORIS use. This will also serve to identify potential enhancements to Standard Operating Procedures.
By facilitating the exchange of critical information, the exercise aims to guide the IORIS community on when, how, and with whom information needs to be shared.
Moreover, it seeks to transform the prevailing mindset from ‘need to know’ to ‘responsibility to share,’ fostering safer and more secure seas.