India Navy conducts maritime exercise with Singapore at Visakhapatnam

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is hosting the 29th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) from 26 to 30 October at Visakhapatnam, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The exercise highlights the commitment and contribution of the two nations towards enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region, it said.

SIMBEX-2022 is being conducted in two phases – Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam from 26 to 27 October 2022 followed by the Sea Phase in Bay of Bengal from 28 to 30 October 2022.

The Singapore Navy is represented by formidable class frigate RSS Stalwart, victory class missile corvette RSS Vigilance.

“Two ships from Republic of Singapore Navy, RSS Stalwart (a Formidable Class Frigate) and RSS Vigilance (a Victory Class Corvette) arrived Visakhapatnam on 25 October 2022 for participation in the exercise,” the ministry said.

Rear Admiral Sean Wat Jianwen, Fleet Commander, Republic of Singapore Navy called on Vice Admiral Biswajeet Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command and Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet on 25 October 2022. During the meetings, issues of common concern were discussed.

The Harbour Phase witnessed extensive professional and sporting interactions between the two navies including cross deck visits, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges (SMEE) and planning meetings.

SIMBEX series of exercises began in 1994 and were initially known as Exercise Lion King. The scope and complexity of the exercise has risen substantially over the past two decades to include advanced naval drills covering a wide spectrum of maritime operations.

SIMBEX 2021 was held from 2 to 4 September. It’s main goal is to improve marine cooperation between India and Singapore.

Also, both navies have a representation in each other’s maritime information fusion centres and have signed an agreement on mutual submarine rescue support and coordination.