India, Singapore hold major naval exercise near South China Sea. India News – Times of India

New Delhi: Maintaining a high operational pace during its ongoing deployment in South East Asia, South China Sea and the Western Pacific, the Indian Naval Task Force has now conducted a major exercise with Singapore in the last three days.
guided-missile destroyer INS Ranvijay, along with a ship-borne helicopter, the anti-submarine frigate INS Kilton and the guided-missile corvette INS Kora, along with a P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft, participated in the ‘.SymbexThe exercise on the southern edge of the South China Sea from September 2 to 4.
In return, Singapore deployed two warships, the frigate RSS Steadfast and the missile corvette. RSS Josh, an Archer-class submarine and a Fokker-50 maritime patrol aircraft. The Singapore Air Force also landed four F-16 fighter jets for the air defense exercise during the naval exercise.

“Initiated in 1994, SIMBEX is the longest uninterrupted bilateral maritime exercise of the Indian Navy with any foreign navy. Its 28th edition included live-weapon firing and advanced naval operations, including anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface warfare exercises. The scale and complexity of the exercise is a testament to the interactivity achieved between the two navies.” Navy Spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal on Saturday.
In late August, the Indian Naval Task Force participated in the Malabar exercises with the US, Japan and Australia in Guam to ensure a “free, open, secure and stable” Indo-Pacific against China’s expansionist growing strategic conformity. to be further strengthened. Behavior in the field, as previously reported by TOI.
Bilateral exercises, in turn, were conducted with Vietnam and the Philippines in line with India’s “Act East” policy, including expanding military ties with ASEAN countries with a firm eye on China.
Incidentally, India and Singapore recently inked a submarine rescue support agreement between their navies.
Under bilateral agreements signed more than a decade ago, Singapore uses Indian military facilities at Babina for training of its mechanized forces on a regular basis, artillery in the Deolali range and F-16 fighter jets at the Kalaikunda airbase on a regular basis. uses from.
India has also entered into a naval agreement with Singapore for reaching each other’s bases and mutual logistics support for warships.