Defence Current Affairs And Updates 24 November 2020

Hemanth Kasturi
November 24, 2020
865

SITMEX 2020: India, Singapore and Thailand hold Naval Exercise in Andaman Sea

The trilateral Naval exercise, SITMEX-20 between India, Singapore and Thailand was held in the Andaman sea. The SITMEX-20 Naval exercise was scheduled in a “non-contact at sea only format” due to covid-19 restrictions. The main objective of the exercise is to increase the interoperability between the three navies. The exercise will also enhance multifaceted Maritime operations.
The exercise involved weapon firing on the surface, war at sea exercise, coordinated navigation operation and seamanship evolution. The Indian Navy was represented by INS Karmuk and INS Kamorta. The Singapore Navy was represented by RSS Intrepid, RSS Endeavour. The Thailand Navy was represented by a Chao class frigate HTMS Kraburi.
The conduct of the trilateral naval exercise between India Singapore and Thailand was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Shangri La dialogue. The maiden edition of the exercise was held in 2019.
India has been strengthening its presence in the Indian ocean region by signing defence cooperation agreements with countries in and around the region. Through these agreements Indian Naval ships can refuel, restock and rearm stopping at their bases. Also, India has been increasing its presence through Naval exercises. Apart from these measures, India is strengthening its submarines and aircraft fleet to increase the surveillance in the region. India recently (in November 2020) launched its ninth submarine killer aircraft P8-I. The aircraft was bought from US.
Apart from military exercises, India has been increasing its efforts under QUAD grouping. Currently the members of the grouping include India, United States, Australia and Japan. The countries have called for a free and open Indo-pacific region in the recently held foreign ministers Summit.

SIMBEX 2020: India and Singapore hold Naval Exercise in Andaman Sea

Indian Navy (IN) is hosting the 27th edition of India – Singapore Bilateral Maritime Exercise SIMBEX-20 from 23 to 25 November 2020 in Andaman Sea.
The SIMBEX series of exercises between IN and Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), being conducted annually since 1994, are aimed at enhancing mutual inter-operability and imbibing best practices from each other. The scope and complexity of these exercises has increased steadily over the past two decades to include advanced naval drills covering a wide spectrum of maritime operations.
The 2020 edition of SIMBEX is witnessing the participation by Indian Navy ships including destroyer Rana with integral Chetak helicopter and indigenously built corvettes Kamorta and Karmuk. In addition, IN submarine Sindhuraj and P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft are also participating in the exercise.
RSN is being represented by the ‘Formidable’ Class frigates ‘Intrepid’ and ‘Steadfast’ with integral S70B helicopter and ‘Endurance’ Class Landing Ship Tank ‘Endeavour’ in the exercise.
The exercise is being conducted as a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ exercise in view of COVID-19 pandemic and it highlights the high degree of mutual trust and confidence, synergy and cooperation in the maritime domain between the two friendly navies and maritime neighbours. SIMBEX-20 is witnessing the two friendly navies participate in advanced surface, anti-air warfare and anti-submarine warfare exercises including weapon firings, over these three days of intensive joint operations at sea.
SIMBEX series of exercises exemplify the high level of coordination and convergence of views between India and Singapore, particularly in the maritime domain, towards enhancing the overall maritime security in the region and highlight their commitment to a rules-based international order.

CAS spoke at CENJOWS webinar on ‘Domination of Aerospace Domain: Indian context’.

Digitisation, networking and shortened decision-making cycle are crucial factors in enhancing domination of strategic space in the future. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said at CENJOWS (Centre for Joint Warfare Studies) webinar on ‘Domination of Aerospace Domain: Indian context’.
The CAS added that centralised planning and decentralized execution with high levels of battlespace visibility remain the norm of operations in the IAF rather than the exception.
Speaking on tri-services integration, he called for development of robust ‘Information Islands’ in each service to be overlaid across common grids to ensure integrated data availability, NFS being one such example.
Concluding, the CAS said that technology such as Big data analytics, AI and quantum computing have the potential to be seen both as enablers and disruptors in the strategic battlespace of the near future.

About CENJOWS:

CENJOWS was raised at the initiative of Ministry of Defence on 24 Aug 2007 and is registered under ‘The Societies Registration Act 1860’.
The centre has been set up to:
Rise above sectoral and departmental legacies and examine joint warfare and synergy issues in their entirety.
Provide the much-needed interface between various stakeholders, viz the government, public and private sector, academia, NGOs and civil society.
Initiate debates and discussions in an independent and unbiased milieu for emergence of best possible alternative.

Mission of CENJOWS:

To promote Integration as a synergistic enabler for the growth of Integrated National Power and provide alternatives in all dimensions of its applications through focused research and debate.

Vision of CENJOWS:

Accord priority, to free dialogue and discussion on all issues with a bearing on joint warfare and on the formulation of independent policy options to decision makers, in the Gol and Defence Headquarters.
Endeavour to mould public opinion and influence the national security elite on issues where India’s national power is synergised. Nurture and facilitate study, scholarship and discourse in respect of broad spectrum of joint warfare issues.
Seek to engage foreign institutions, having common interests and commitments, in our immediate neighbourhood and undertake an exchange of ideas with a view to enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation in the joint warfare field.

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