SIMBEX begins in South China sea

Visakhapatnam: Indian Naval ships Kolkata and Shakti are taking part in the sea phase of the 26th edition of Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) -2019 commenced on Sunday in South China Sea.

During the sea phase, IN ships along with long range maritime patrol aircraft P81 and ships of Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Steadfast and Valiant, maritime patrol aircraft Fokker-50 and F-16 fighter aircraft perform various maritime combat drills as part of four-day exercise. The maritime combat drills include advanced aerial tracking, coordinated targeting and tactical exercises and weapon firing on aerial and surface targets.

Over the years since its inception in 1993, the annual bilateral exercise SIMBEX has been demonstrating India's commitment to enhance maritime cooperation between the two navies and strengthen the bonds of friendship between the nations.