Record Number of Military Vessels to be Involved in this Year's Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise

11 November 2018

File photo of RSN and IN ships sailing in formation in 2017. This year's Simbex will feature about 30 participating air, sea and underwater assets from the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Indian Navy (photo : Sing Mindef)

SINGAPORE - A record number of military hardware - aircraft, ships and submarines - are participating in this year's maritime bilateral exercise between the Singapore and Indian navies, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday (Nov 10).

Now in its 25th year, the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (Simbex) will feature about 30 participating air, sea and underwater assets from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

Submarines are stealthy and difficult to find. Out in the Andaman Sea, the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Indian Navy will deploy ships and aircraft like the S-70B naval helicopter and P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) to collectively track an enemy submarine using sonar. (image : Sing Mindef)

The exercise, which starts from Saturday until Nov 21, will see sailors from both navies train together in live firing exercises and naval warfare drills. Senior navy officers from Singapore and India will also make official calls to the other side.

The militaries of both countries have held joint exercises and training for many years, with a number of bilateral agreements signed.

As soon as enemy fighter aircraft or incoming missiles are detected in the skies, the Republic of Singapore Navy and Indian Navy warships will fire missiles to destroy the threats. In the Andaman Sea, a combined firing of Barak missiles will be fired from an RSN Missile Corvette (MCV) and an IN frigate. Subsequently in the Bay of Bengal, an Aster missile will be fired from an RSN frigate together with a Barak missile from an IN frigate. (photo : Sing Mindef)

The army agreement was last renewed in 2013, while the bilateral navy and air force agreements were exchanged last year (2017).

This year's Simbex will feature anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare exercise scenarios, growing in scope and complexity from the first Simbex in 1994, which focused on anti-submarine warfare, said Mindef.

Ships and naval aircraft will work together as an integrated team to target enemy ships. For example, the Republic of Singapore Navy's Fokker 50 MPA will search for enemy ships ahead of the force. The ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) will be deployed by the MCV to confirm the enemy’s identity, and ships will engage with long-range missiles and guns. (image : Sing Mindef)

It was in the exercise in 2003 when the RSN became the first South-east Asian navy to successfully fire a torpedo against a moving submarine.

"Since the first exercise in 1994, the RSN has enhanced its capability in anti-submarine warfare with the deployment of a range of assets with anti-submarine capabilities, such as the missile corvettes, anti-submarine patrol vessels, frigates, submarines, and naval air assets," said Mindef.

(Straits Times)