Two frontline warships of the Indian Navy arrived in Singapore on Monday to participate in the inaugural edition of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise, officials said. The harbour phase of the exercise started at the Changi Naval Base on May 2  and will continue 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 that arrived in Singapore are INS Satpura and INS Delhi. The ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-2023) will provide an opportunity for the Indian Navy and ASEAN navies to work closely with each other and conduct seamless operations in the maritime domain, the defence ministry 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 navy’s Eastern Fleet based in Visakhapatnam.

The ships are fitted with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors.

The ships, during their port call at Singapore, will also participate in the International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX-23) and the International Maritime Security Conference (IMSC) being hosted by Singapore, the ministry said in a statement.

(Source – PTI)