India and Singapore will launch naval drills in the Andaman Sea on Monday, with the aim of enhancing mutual interoperability and learning best practices from each other, a spokesman for the Indian Navy said on Sunday. The 27th edition of the India-Singapore Bilateral Maritime Exercise (SIMBEX-20) will take place from November 23 to 25.
The drills come on the heels of the Malabar exercise involving the Quad navies and a trilateral exercise conducted by India, Singapore and Thailand.
“The scope and complexity of these exercises have steadily increased over the past two decades to include advanced naval exercises covering a broad spectrum of maritime operations,” said Navy spokesman Commander Vivek Madhwal. The annual SIMBEX exercise was held for the first time in 1994.
Indian Navy assets that participated in the exercises include the INS Rana destroyer, INS Kamorta and INS Karmuk corvettes, INS Sindhuraj submarine, and P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Singapore will be represented by the Intrepid and Steadfast frigates with integral S70B helicopters and the Endeavor landing tank. The drills are being carried out without contact, only at sea in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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“SIMBEX-20 will witness the participation of the two friendly navies in advanced surface, antiaircraft and antisubmarine warfare exercises, including firearms during three days of intensive joint operations at sea,” Madhwal said, adding that the drills they also highlight the two navies’ commitment to a rules-based international order.
The Indian Navy has conducted a series of exercises with friendly navies in the Indian Ocean Region in recent weeks. India, Singapore and Thailand concluded the second edition of a trilateral naval exercise in the Andaman Sea on Sunday.
“In addition to enhancing interoperability among friendly navies, the India-Singapore-Thailand Trilateral Maritime Exercise (SITMEX) series of exercises also aims to strengthen mutual trust and develop common understanding and procedures to enhance overall maritime security. in the region, “Madhwal said.
The navies of India, the United States, Japan and Australia concluded the Malabar exercise in the northern Arabian Sea on November 20. The drills were held at a time when China is closely monitoring the activities of the Quad countries and seeking to increase its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The Malabar naval exercises were carried out in two phases: the first phase in the Bay of Bengal from 3 to 6 November; the second phase took place in the Arabian Sea from November 17 to 20.
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