India-Singapore bilateral naval exercise SIMBEX-15 commences in Singapore

Bilateral naval exercise SIMBEX-15 between India and Singapore commenced on 23 May 2015 in Singapore. It is 3 days exercise which will conclude on May 26, 2015.
This edition of naval exercise will give traditional emphasis on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and more complex maritime exercises. It will involve various facets of naval operations such as air and surface practice firing, air defence, maritime security and search & rescue operations.
For this edition of exercise, Indian navy is represented by

• INS Satpura- an indigenously built guided missile stealth frigate with integral helicopter.
• INS Kamorta- an indigenous anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvette.
• P 8I aircraft- It is a long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti- Submarine (LRMRASW) aircraft.

From the Singaporean side, Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) ship Supreme and submarine Archer along with MPA and fighter aircraft are participating.
Background

• Operational interaction between the Indian Navy and Singapore Navy has grown steadily since 1994 after the commencement of ASW training exercises.
• In 1999, this operational interaction was formalised as an annual bilateral exercise and was christened SIMBEX.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2015