New Delhi: The sea phase of bilateral exercise ‘SIMBEX’ between the navies of Singapore and India began in the Bay of Bengal from Friday. The port phase of the exercise, hosted by the Indian Navy from 26-27 October, has been completed in Visakhapatnam. Two ships of the Singapore Navy are participating in the sea phase which will last till 30 October. Launched in 1994, the 29th edition of SIMBEX is India’s longest-running bilateral naval exercise with any foreign navy.
The bilateral exercise ‘SIMBEX’ with the Singapore Navy off the coast of India is being conducted in two phases. The port phase of the exercise has been concluded at Visakhapatnam on 26-27 October. During this, Rear Admiral Sean Wat Jianwen, Fleet Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy held meetings with Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command and Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet to discuss common issues. The Harbor Phase also saw extensive professional interactions between the two navies, including cross-deck visits, Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) and planning meetings.
The sea phase of the 29th edition, being hosted by the Indian Navy, began today in the Bay of Bengal, and will continue till October 30. Two Singapore Navy ships RSS Stalwart (Formidable class frigate) and RSS Vigilance (Victory-class corvette) are participating in this exercise. The series of exercises ‘Simbex’ began in 1994, initially known as ‘Exercise Lion King’. This is India’s longest continuous bilateral naval exercise with any foreign navy. The exercise has grown substantially in scope and complexity over the 28 years, with advanced naval exercises covering a broad spectrum of maritime operations.
The exercise exemplifies the high level of cooperation between India and Singapore in the maritime sector. It also highlights the commitment and contribution of the two countries towards enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean region. The 28th edition of SIMBEX was conducted as an ‘at-sea only’ exercise on the southern shore of the South China Sea from September 02 to 04 last year. The 27th phase of the bilateral maritime exercise between India and Singapore took place in the Andaman Sea. Both the friendly navies will participate in advanced anti-air warfare and anti-submarine warfare exercises including weapon firing in a three-day intensive joint operation in the 29th edition.
