The Indian Navy hosts the 27^th edition of the Indian-Singapore bilateral maritime exercise SIMBEX-20 in the Andaman Sea. The SIMBEX series of exercise between the Indian Navy and the RSN (Republic of Singapore Navy) have been conducted annually since 1994 and its goal is to enhance mutual interoperability and learn the best practice from each other. This year it is being carried out in the format of a trilateral naval exercise with the participation of Thailand and is known as SITMEX 2020. The trilateral naval exercise was discussed by the Indian side at the IISS-Shangri La dialogue held in June 2018.

Vivek Madhwal (Indian Navy commander) said that the scope of these exercises has been augmented regularly over the past two decades to carry out advance naval drills covering a broad spectrum of maritime operations. He further justified that the SIMBEX-20 within the SITMEX2020, will see the two friendly countries partake in advanced surface, anti-air warfare, and anti-submarine warfare exercises including weapon firing over three days of intensive joint operation at sea.

Madhwal also elaborated, “Beyond improving inter-operability between the friendly navies, the India, Singapore, and Thailand Trilateral Maritime Exercise (SIMTEX) also intends to fortify mutual confidence and develop common understanding and procedures towards intensifying the overall maritime security in the region.”

The 2020 edition of SITMEX will witness participation by Indian Navy ships which include destroyer INS Rana (D52) along with Chetak helicopter and indigenously built Corvettes-Kamorta class-Kamorta (P28) and Kora class-Karmuk (P64). (In late October, the latest Corvette in the Kamorta-class category, INS-Kavaratti was commissioned.) Apart from the corvettes and the destroyer, Sindhughosh-class diesel-electric submarine of Indian Navy-Sindhuraj (S57) and P81 maritime reconnaissance aircraft will also take part in the exercise.

In the meantime, Singapore will be represented by RSN Frigates-Intrepid and Steadfast along with S70B Helicopters and landing ship tank Endeavour. Thailand would be represented by the ‘Chao Phraya’ Class frigate ‘Kraburi’ of RTN in the naval exercise.

The naval exercise highlights growing synergy, coordination and cooperation in the maritime domain between the three friendly navies and maritime neighbours and is being conducted as a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ exercise in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such Naval exercises are expected more among the partners in the Quadrilateral dialogue space between India, Australia, Japan, and the USA in the Indo- Pacific and Pacific oceans.

The author is a member of Amity center of Happiness