India and Singapore begin 33rd SIMBEX naval exercise in Visakhapatnam
The six-day exercise brings the two navies together for harbour exchanges and planned warfare drills in the Bay of Bengal.
The Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy began the 33rd SIMBEX bilateral maritime exercise in Visakhapatnam on October 21, bringing their crews together for six days of exchanges and planned drills. The exercise is scheduled to run through October 26, with its sea phase set for the Bay of Bengal.
Singapore's RSS Supreme arrived in Visakhapatnam to take part. The opening ceremony was held aboard the Indian ships INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta, with senior officers from both navies attending, according to The Hindu and a PTI report carried by Hindustan Times.
Who attended the SIMBEX-2026 opening
PTI identified the senior attendees as Rear Admiral Manoj Jha, chief staff officer of India's Eastern Naval Command, and Colonel Bertram Ang, fleet commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy. Capt Gurudeep Bala, commanding officer of INS Nilgiri, told reporters that SIMBEX aims to strengthen maritime cooperation and operational interoperability between the two navies, PTI reported.
Bala also said the Indian Navy was pleased to host RSS Supreme and looked forward to the engagement. The stated focus on interoperability concerns how the two forces work together during maritime operations; the exercise's planned activities bring their personnel together both in port and at sea.
Harbour exchanges and Bay of Bengal drills
The harbour phase, scheduled for October 21 to 23, includes professional discussions, exchanges between subject specialists, visits between ships, sports and planning conferences. Those meetings precede the at-sea programme, giving the crews time to coordinate before the planned maritime operations.
From October 24 to 26, the navies plan tactical exercises in the Bay of Bengal. The programme includes anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air warfare drills, along with seamanship exercises and tactical manoeuvres, both reports said. These are scheduled activities; the sea phase had not begun when the exercise opened.
How the India–Singapore exercise developed
SIMBEX began in 1994 as Exercise Lion King, according to The Hindu. It has since grown in scope and complexity into a recurring bilateral maritime engagement. The 2026 edition continues that relationship through shipboard exchanges and a planned sea phase involving both countries' naval personnel.
The two navies describe the exercise as a way to improve cooperation and address shared maritime security challenges. Bala linked the programme to their ability to operate together, while both reports described wider aims of promoting security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Those are the exercise's stated purposes as its scheduled phases proceed.
Read in depth: World
Bukele announces operation to rescue four Salvadoran technicians missing in Haiti
The men disappeared after an attack near Port-au-Prince. Haiti says securing their release is an absolute priority, but their condition has not been confirmed.
Irish council staff on industrial action available for Storm Austen emergency work
Fórsa and Siptu say emergency work can proceed during industrial action as Storm Austen approaches Ireland, while Dublin City Council prepares for possible flooding.
Sources and context
- 33rd edition of SIMBEX-2026 commences in VisakhapatnamThe Hindu; by V. Kamalakara Rao
- India, Singapore commence 33rd edition of bilateral maritime exercise in VisakhapatnamHindustan Times; PTI feed, stated by HT to be generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.