The three-day annual Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) concluded today in the southern reaches of the South China Sea within international waters.
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, SIMBEX 2021 involved a virtual planning exercise followed by a 'contactless' sea phase involving ships from both navies, and aircraft from the Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).
During the exercise, the Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) executed a series of naval serials in the air, surface and underwater domains, including gunnery live-firing, replenishment-at-sea approaches, as well as manoeuvring and communication exercises.
The Indian Navy was represented by by Rajput-class Guided Missile Destroyer INS Ranvijay with a Chetak helicopter embarked, a Kamorta-class corvette INS Kiltan, a Kora-class corvette INS Kora and a P-8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Participants from the RSN included one Formidable Class Frigate, RSS Steadfast, embarked with an S-70B naval helicopter, one Victory Class Missile Corvette, RSS Vigour, one Archer Class Submarine and one Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Four F-16 fighters and a Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft from the RSAF also participated in the exercise.
First conducted in 1994, SIMBEX remains the longest-running bilateral maritime exercises for both the navies. Over the years, it has grown both in scope and complexity, expanding beyond conventional naval warfare to include elements of maritime security.
Apart from SIMBEX, the two navies interact regularly through a range of activities, including professional exchanges, staff talks, and training courses.
The 28th edition of SIMBEX was also a special occasion as it took place during the ongoing celebrations of the 75th year of India's independence.
The successful conduct of SIMBEX 2021 underscored the strong and long-standing defence ties between both the countries.
"The exercise gave us a valuable opportunity to hone our professional competencies and enhance our mutual understanding. That we were able to execute this smoothly without meeting face-to-face is testament to the good understanding that our Navies have built up over the years," said Lieutenant Colonel Carlin Song, the Commanding Officer of RSS Steadfast.
New Delhi said that India-Singapore defence relations remain a very significant aspect of the overall bilateral relationship and cover a very wide spectrum of collaboration from conventional military-to-military exchanges to HADR and cyber security.
Both navies have a representation in each other’s Maritime Information Fusion Centres and have also recently signed an agreement on mutual submarine rescue support and coordination.
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