The exercise demonstrates the high level of maritime cooperation between India and Singapore

The Indian Navy is currently hosting the 29th Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) in Visakhapatnam. The exercise started on October 26 and will conclude on October 30, 2022.

SIMBEX-2022 is being held in two phases, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday.

The first phase, the Harbour Phase, took place in Visakhapatnam from October 26 to 27, during which numerous professional and recreational exchanges happened between the two fleets, including cross-deck visits, SMEEs, and planning sessions.

It is followed by the Sea Phase, which is the second phase that is going to take place in the Bay of Bengal from October 28 to 30.

Earlier, on October 25, 2022, two ships from the Republic of Singapore Navy—RSS Stalwart, a Formidable Class Frigate, and RSS Vigilance, a Victory Class Corvette—arrived at Visakhapatnam to take part in the exercise.

Shortly after arriving, Rear Admiral Sean Wat Jianwen, Fleet Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy, met with Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, and Rear Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, shortly after his arrival. During the meetings, they discussed various mutual concerns.

The SIMBEX series of exercises, which were first known as "Exercise Lion King," started in 1994. It also added that the exercises' scope and complexity have increased significantly over the past 20 years, demonstrating the high level of cooperation between India and Singapore in the maritime domain.