The Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines maritime cooperative arrangement known as INDOMALPHI is entering a new phase, with the nations reinforcing joint patrols, expanding surveillance operations and moving toward predictive risk management in some of Southeast Asia’s most vulnerable maritime zones.
At the 29th INDOMALPHI Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting in Manila in December 2025, senior defense officials noted operational milestones. Although robberies at sea increased from January to September 2025, most were petty theft incidents involving unarmed perpetrators and there have been no maritime kidnap-for-ransom incidents since 2021. The meeting emphasized the durability and adaptability of the trilateral framework in the face of rapidly evolving threats.
“The nature of maritime threats has changed — it is more diverse, more interconnected and more adaptive,” Marcellus Hakeng Jayawibawa, a defense analyst at Jakarta’s Lemhannas Strategic Center, told FORUM. “INDOMALPHI’s strength lies in its ability to evolve with these threats, using coordinated patrols, intelligence sharing and operational trust to close the space for criminal activity.”
Jayawibawa said INDOMALPHI has built an enduring institutional framework supported by real-time information exchange, joint standard operating procedures and integrated maritime surveillance. “This shift from reactive to predictive security is significant,” he said. “The ability to anticipate criminal patterns before incidents occur marks a strategic leap that enhances both deterrence and operational efficiency.”
Trilateral patrols, air surveillance and coordinated responses in the Sulawesi and Sulu seas have contributed to a decline in violent incidents involving transnational actors, including the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group, now considered defunct.
Two piracy incidents and 117 sea robberies, including five attempts, were reported in the first nine months of 2025, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia’s Information Sharing Centre (ReCAAP ISC). Both piracy incidents, defined as occurring on the high seas, were minor, with perpetrators boarding barges under tow and not confronting crew members. Most of the robberies involved the theft of items such as engine spares, paint, scrap metal and mooring ropes.
There were 70 reported robberies and one piracy incident during the same period in 2024. “The severity of incidents reported during January-September 2025 was generally lower compared to the same period in 2024,” the ReCAAP ISC reported.
Pudji Astuti, a defense analyst at Indonesia’s Defense Ministry, highlighted INDOMALPHI’s integrated structure. “The cooperation combines military and intelligence capabilities through maritime and air patrols, command centers, and joint port visits,” she told FORUM. “Its implementation reflects a shared commitment to securing strategic waters and countering a wide range of transnational threats.”
The JWG also discussed the future of the cooperation framework, which is marking its 10th anniversary in 2026. The Philippine delegation proposed a comprehensive assessment to ensure mechanisms remain aligned with emerging security realities, including enhancing information sharing among regional maritime command centers to reduce response times and bolster operational cohesion.
“Trilateral frameworks are critically important, particularly for aligning threat perceptions and operational strategies,” Ario Seno, a Jakarta-based security analyst, told FORUM. “When implemented effectively, they provide the structure needed to respond cohesively to complex maritime challenges.
“There must be a platform capable of bridging coordination at academic, strategic and tactical levels,” he said. “The current shift toward predictive analysis is a step in that direction.”
Analysts say the trilateral initiative offers a model for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-centered maritime cooperation, one that complements multilateral mechanisms without diminishing ASEAN’s centrality.
“INDOMALPHI translates ASEAN’s vision into operational success,” Jayawibawa said. “It shows that cooperation rooted in local realities can produce sustained maritime stability.”
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