A Trilateral Air Patrol (TAP) between Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines was launched at the Subang Air Base, Malaysia, on Wednesday. The air patrols mark yet another step in the growing trilateral cooperation between the three states as they continue to confront a range of security threats amid concerns about rising Islamic State influence in the subregion. The launch of TAP was a follow-up of the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement between Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. TAP will provide an air control component that complements marine patrol activities, while a Trilateral Maritime Patrol (TMP) was launched in June 2017 in Tarakan. The objective of TAP is to conduct air patrols in the maritime territorial waters of the three countries and to provide operational support to maritime units of marine forces.
Video by Royal Malaysian Air Force (TUDM)
Three countries launch joint trilateral air patrol
