Visakhapatnam, Oct 27 The Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) concluded the 33rd edition of their bilateral maritime exercise SIMBEX-2026 in Visakhapatnam, strengthening maritime cooperation and operational engagement between the two countries, Eastern Naval Command (ENC) said on Tuesday.
The exercise, hosted by the Indian Navy from October 21 to 26, was conducted in two phases and featured professional interactions and maritime warfare drills aimed at enhancing coordination and interoperability between the two navies, a release from ENC said.
As part of the bilateral engagement, Colonel Bertram Ang, Fleet Commander of the RSN, called on Rear Admiral Vishal Bishnoi, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet and exchanged views on strengthening maritime cooperation between India and Singapore and discussed matters of mutual interest.
The harbour phase featured subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs), cross-deck visits, professional interactions, sporting engagements and planning conferences, facilitating the exchange of operational knowledge and enhancing mutual understanding between personnel of the two navies.
The sea phase, conducted in the Bay of Bengal, involved maritime interdiction operations, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-air warfare and anti-surface warfare drills, seamanship evolutions and cross-deck flying operations, strengthening coordination and operational interoperability between the participating forces.
The exercise witnessed the participation of RSN ship RSS Supreme, a Formidable-class stealth frigate with an embarked SH-70B helicopter. The Indian Navy was represented by the indigenously built stealth frigate INS Nilgiri, ASW corvette INS Kamorta and participating aviation assets, including P-8I and Dornier maritime patrol aircraft, Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers and MH-60R helicopters.
SIMBEX, which commenced in 1994 as Exercise Lion King, has evolved into a significant bilateral maritime engagement between the Indian Navy and the RSN. Over successive editions, the exercise has expanded in scope and operational complexity, fostering professional ties, mutual understanding and combat interoperability between the two forces.
SIMBEX-2026 reaffirmed the longstanding maritime partnership between India and Singapore and their shared commitment to enhancing maritime security and promoting stability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the release added.
(PTI News)
