Indian Navy to host bilateral exercise SIMBEX-20 in Andaman sea

New Delhi, November 22

The Indian Navy will host the 27th edition of the India-Singapore bilateral maritime exercise SIMBEX-20 from Monday to Wednesday in the Andaman sea, said an official statement on Sunday.

“The 2020 edition of SIMBEX will witness participation by Indian Navy ships including destroyer Rana with integral Chetak helicopter and indigenously built corvettes Kamorta and Karmuk,” the Navy said in the statement.

In addition, Indian Navy’s submarine Sindhuraj and P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft would also participate in the exercise, it said.

“The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) will be represented by the Formidable-class frigates Intrepid and Steadfast with S70B helicopter and Endurance-class landing ship tank Endeavour in the exercise,” the statement said.

The SIMBEX series of exercises between the Indian Navy and the RSN has been conducted annually since 1994 and they are aimed at enhancing mutual interoperability and imbibing best practices from each other, the statement reads.

The 2020 exercise is being conducted as a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ exercise in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, it said. PTI