Sweden to hone its underwater domain skills. In 1979, Malaysia had published a map laying claim to Pedra Branca, an offshore island controlled by Singapore. The resultant Pedra Branca dispute lasted 29 years until 2008 when the island was awarded to Singapore by the International Court of Justice, during which the Navy was heavily involved in patrols and maintained an active presence in the waters surrounding the island. In January 2003, RSS Courageous collided with a merchant vessel within the vicinity of Pedra Branca during a patrol, resulting in four casualties and the first ship to be stricken as a total loss. As a result of the accident, additional safety measures were implemented and the training program enhanced, including the requirement for all officers to better understand the maneuvering characteristics of their ship and take a COLREGs test every six months. The RSN also participated in operations other than war within Southeast Asia and abroad. The Navy deployed its Bedok-class mine-countermeasure vessels to search the Musi River for SilkAir Flight 185; served as part of the Australian-led International Force East Timor to address the humanitarian and security crisis in the aftermath of the territory's referendum for independence in 1999; deployed three ships to provide humanitarian assistance and emergency aid to the Indonesian town of Meulaboh in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake; and was part of the Multi-National Force – Iraq coalition force maintaining maritime security around key Iraqi installations in the Persian Gulf. Evolving security challenges The Coastal Command was revamped in 2009 into the Maritime Security Task Force to improve coordination between national maritime agencies such as the Police Coast Guard and harbour authorities. Between 2007 and 2020, the RSN has introduced new Archer-class submarines, Formidable-class frigates and Independence-class littoral mission vessels to its fleet to enhance its deterrence amidst rising tensions in the surrounding seas. Unmanned assets such as the Specialised Marine Craft patrol boat and Protector USV have been commissioned to combat the personnel shortfall in Singapore due to falling birthrates. The RSN has engaged in multilateral anti-piracy operations in the Malacca Strait with neighbouring nations; and in the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa under the multinational naval Combined Task Force 151, taking command of the task force thrice; It participated in both the search for MH Flight 370 in the Gulf of Thailand and QZ Flight 8501 in the Karimata Strait