The Straits of Malacca and the Straits of Singapore are not only critical for the economic vitality of Southeast Asian states but are crucial for global trade and commerce. Being congested and confined sea-lanes, the safety of maritime traffic is threatened from at least three directions. These are (a) poor navigation system (b) Pollution from the sea traffic and (c) Maritime security. These are closely related to each other. As regards to navigational safety, the Straits are shallow and have several wrecks that make navigation a very difficult task.

Military diplomacy has become an integral part of the overall national security planning in the 21st century. While the tenets of military diplomacy are many, it could be coercive diplomacy or even a simple exchange of military officers between two states for the purposes of education and training. Of late, the joint military exercise as part of larger military goal has been pursued by many states in recent times.