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- The Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy has began a major bilateral naval exercise in the South China Sea.The exercise is called as SIMBEX 19.The bilateral naval drill will be conducted till May 22,2019.
- Indian ships INS Kolkata and INS Shakti took part in the bilateral naval along with long range maritime patrol aircraft Poseidon-8I (P8I).
- The Singapore side is represented by RSN ships Steadfast and Valiant, maritime patrol aircraft Fokker-50 (F-50) and F-16 fighter aircraft.
- The exercise includes a live-fire sea phase exercise which will encompass a range of maritime combat drills, including (a)firing on aerial/surface targets (b)advanced aerial tracking (c)coordinated targeting exercises and (d)tactical exercises on surface/air scenarios.
- SIMBEX 19 would also conclude the two-month long deployment of INS ships Kolkata and Shakti to South and East China seas aimed at extending the bridges of friendship through enhanced cultural, economic and maritime interactions with countries of east and southeast Asia.
- INS Kolkata is an indigenously built stealth guided missile destroyer equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors to address threats in all dimensions of naval warfare.INS Shakti is a fleet support ship.
- INS Shakti is one of the largest tankers displacing over 27,000 tonnes and capable of carrying 15,000 tonnes of liquid cargo and over 500 tonnes of solid cargo including victuals and ammunition.
