File photo of ships of Singapore Navy and Indian Navy sailing in formation in 2017. (Photo: Singapore's Ministry of Defence)New Delhi (VNA) - Navies of India and Singapore on November10 began a 12-day military exercise off the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal aspart of their efforts to further solidify maritime security cooperation.
A number of frontline ships of the two navies are participating inthe Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX).
Indian Navy spokesperson Captain D K Sharma said the exercise at seathis year will be unprecedented and largest in terms of the complexity andweapon firings.
The Indian naval ships which are participating in the exercise includeRanvijay, Satpura, Sahyadri, Shakti, Kirch, Kadmatt, Sumedha and Sukanya.Meanwhile, Singapore Navy has sent a number of its frontline ships includingFormidable, Steadfast, Unity, Valiant and Vigour.
Maritime Patrol Aircraft of both countries - the versatile P8I of theIndian Navy and Fokker F50 from Singapore would also be part of the exercise,said Captain Sharma.
He added that number of missiles and torpedo firings being undertakenare unprecedented and perhaps the largest the Indian Navy has undertaken withany foreign Navy till date.
The exercise will see sailors from both navies train together in livefiring exercises and naval warfare drills. Senior navy officers from Singaporeand India will also make official calls to the other side.
Started in 1994, the SIMBEX has graduated into a complex maritime combatdrill featuring missile and torpedo firings as well as shore-based intensiveprofessional exchanges, the Indian Navy spokesperson said.
Together with deepening defence cooperation between India and Singapore,the navies of the two countries have expanded their ties significantly in thelast few years. The two navies have increased their interoperability to alevel that could be matched by few other navies, said Captain Sharma.-VNA
