New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar on Tuesday attended the inaugural ceremony of the first ASEAN-India maritime exercise at a key naval base in Singapore.
The exercise, being co-hosted by the navies of India and Singapore, will witness participation of ships and personnel from other ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries.
Two frontline warships of the Indian navy arrived in Singapore on Monday to participate in the maritime exercise.
The inaugural ceremony of the weeklong exercise was jointly inaugurated by Admiral Kumar and Rear Admiral Sean Wat, Chief of the Singaporean Navy, in the presence of senior dignitaries from other ASEAN nations, the defence ministry said.
The harbour phase of the exercise is being held at Changi Naval Base from May 2 to 4 while the sea phase will be conducted from May 7 to 8 in the South China Sea. The South China Sea has been witnessing major military assertiveness by China in the last few years.
The two Indian naval ships which arrived in Singapore are INS Satpura and INS Delhi.
Admiral Kumar is on an official visit to Singapore from May 2 to 4.
In addition to representing India and the Indian Navy during the exercise, Admiral Kumar will also be attending the opening ceremony of International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX-23).
He is also scheduled to deliver a talk on ‘Cooperation and Collaboration in the Future Maritime Environment’ during a panel discussion at the eighth International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC), being conducted on the sidelines of IMDEX.
Officials said Admiral Kumar would also be calling on Singapore’s defence minister and would be interacting with top military officials of the country.
The ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2023) will provide an opportunity for Indian Navy and ASEAN navies to work closely and conduct seamless operations in the maritime domain, the Indian Navy said.
INS Delhi is India’s first indigenously-built guided missile destroyer while INS Satpura is an indigenously-built guided missile stealth frigate.
Both the ships are part of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet based in Visakhapatnam. These ships are fitted with state-of-the art weapons and sensors.
The ships, during their port call at Singapore, will also participate in the IMDEX-23 and IMSC being hosted by the city nation. PTI MPB CK
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