Admiral Sunil Lanba attends international maritime review in Singapore

Singapore: Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba today attended Singapore's first International Maritime Review held at the country's prime Changi Naval Base here.

Lanba attended the review along with navy ships INS Sahyadri and INS Kamorta.

A total of 46 warships from 28 countries are in Singapore for the review, an event organised by the Republic of Singapore Navy's (RSN) to celebrate its 50th years of establishment.

Admiral Lanba will also attend the International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEX) 2017 tomorrow.

His visit aims to consolidate existing Maritime Cooperation initiatives as well as explore new avenues between India and Singapore.

Defence cooperation between the two countries is robust and is primarily focused towards Maritime Cooperation.

India signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement with Singapore in 2003, which was renewed in 2015.

Indian Navy and Singapore Navy are partners in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a Maritime Cooperation construct conceptualised and pioneered by Indian Navy in 2008.

The Indian and Singapore navies will conduct bilateral exercise "SIMBEX" off Singapore from 18 to May 24.

Both countries have been conducting "SIMBEX" since 1994.

Both navies also engage in Navy to Navy Staff Talks, which commenced in 2004.

The 12th Staff Talks were conducted in March 2017 and the 13th Staff Talks are scheduled to be held in 2018.

The Singapore Navy has participated in all the MILAN- series interactions organised at Port Blair by the Indian Navy.

Warships of both countries regularly visit each other's ports.

Lanba, who arrived in the country yesterday, held extensive talks with his Singaporean counterpart Lai Chung Han and explored ways to further step up maritime cooperation between the two countries.