Key points:
- From November 23 to 25, the 27th edition of the India-Singapore Bilateral Maritime Exercise (SIMBEX-20) will be conducted.
- In 1994, the SIMBEX Annual Exercise first was conducted.
- In recent weeks, the Indian Navy has held a series of drills in the Indian Ocean Area with friendly navies.
On Monday, India and Singapore will begin naval exercises in the Andaman Sea, focusing on strengthening mutual interoperability as well as learning best practices from one another, a spokesperson for the Indian Navy said on Sunday.
From November 23 to 25, the 27th edition of the India-Singapore Bilateral Maritime Exercise (SIMBEX-20) will be conducted.
The practices come on the back of the Malabar exercise performed by India, Singapore as well as Thailand involving the Quad navies as well as a trilateral exercise.
Commander Vivek Madhwal Navy’s spokesman stated:
“Over the past two decades, the field and complexity of these exercises have steadily increased to include specialized naval drills covering a broad spectrum of maritime operations,” said navy spokesman Commander Vivek Madhwal. In 1994, the SIMBEX Annual Exercise first was conducted.
The Indian Navy properties involved in the drills include the INS Rana cutter, the INS Kamorta as well as INS Karmuk corvettes, the INS Sindhuraj submarine, and the P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft.
Singapore would be portrayed by Intrepid and Steadfast frigates with integral S70B helicopters as well as Endeavour landing ship tanks.
In consideration of the Covid-19 pandemic, the exercises are being carried out as a non-contact, at sea only practice.
Three days of intensive joint operations at sea:
“Over three days of intensive joint operations at sea, SIMBEX-20 will witness the two friendly navies participating in the advanced surface, anti-air combat as well as anti-submarine warfare exercises, including weapons firings,” Madhwal said, adding that now the drills also demonstrate the two navies’ adherence to a rules-based international system.
India, Singapore, and Thailand tied up the 2nd edition of the Andaman Sea:
In recent weeks, the Indian Navy has held a series of drills in the Indian Ocean Area with friendly navies. India, Singapore as well as Thailand tied up the 2nd edition of the Andaman Sea trilateral naval exercise on Sunday.
Further Madhwal stated:
“In addition to improving interoperability among friendly navies, the Trilateral Maritime Exercise (SITMEX) sequence of exercises in India, Singapore as well as Thailand also aims to reinforce mutual trust and develop common understanding as well as procedures for improving overall naval security in the region,” Madhwal said.
The naval exercises were performed in two phases:
The Malabar exercise in the northern Arabian Sea was concluded on November 20 by the navies of India, Japan, the United States, and Australia.
The drills were performed at a time when China is closely watching the Quad countries’ activities and trying to expand its Indian Ocean Area (IOR) footprint.
The Malabar naval exercises were performed in two phases: phase one in the Bay of Bengal between 3 to November 6; phase two as in the Arabian Sea between 17 to November 20.
