“Marine pollution handling exercise Marpolex 206 was successfully carried out on Lembeh Strait in Bitung, North Sumatra,” Sea and Shipping Guard Unit (KPLP) acting director Triono said in Jakarta on Sunday, as quoted by antaranews.com.

“The exercise covered three scenarios of oil spill response operation, fire fighting and search and rescue.”

Triono said that a total of 21 ships from various agencies in Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan participated in the exercise to test their operational readiness, cooperation and joint response in facing marine pollution incident.

The Philippine Coast Guard deployed two patrol vessels, the 86.3-meter BRP Gabriela Silang OPV-8301 and the 44.5-m BRP Tubbataha and the Japan Coast Guard deployed the 150-m PLH Shikishima.

Meanwhile, Indonesia was represented KPLP, a unit of the Transportation Ministry’s Sea Transportation Directorate General. KPLP deployed the 61.8-m KN Sarotama P-112 patrol vessel as the command vessel.

The exercise also involved other Indonesian related agencies and companies.  

General manager of state-owned port operator PT Pelindo regional 4 Bitung, Capt. James David Hukom, said the host Pelindo Belitung provided various equipment, such as 400 m of oil boom, oil suction skimmer, supporting ships and crew.

“We want the world to see that a port in Eastern Indonesia has the capabilities to face emergency, fire, marine accident and oil spill,” he said on Sunday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.  

He added the capabilities were supported by Pelindo Emergency and Oil Spill Combat Team.

Another company supporting Marpolex 2026 was PT OSCT Indonesia, which specializes in handling oil spills.

The company has been involved in Marpolex for several years and OSCT Indonesia has taken part in every Marine Pollution Exercise — training, testing itself and sharing experience with fellow guardians of the sea from across the region, the company said in a statement on Monday.

“For this edition, more than 200 trained personnel and 40,000 m of oil boom are on standby. Forty thousand meters — enough to stretch a defensive line ten of kilometers across the surface of the sea,” PT OSCT Indonesia president director Maj. Gen. (ret) Kukuh Surya Sigit Sentosa said in the statement.

“We fully support MARPOLEX 2026 so that it runs safely, in an orderly manner, and without accidents.”  

Kukuh said that for the largest oil spill response center in Indonesia and Asia, joint exercises like this were an investment in readiness.

“When the region's seas are threatened, it will not be one nation that answers — but everyone who has trained together,” he said.

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