INS Delhi is a guided missile destroyer, Shakti a replenishment fleet tanker and Kiltan an anti-submarine warfare corvette.

Indian Navy’s Warships in Singapore Before Deployment in South China Sea

INS Delhi, Shakti, and Kiltan led by RAdm Rajesh Dhankhar, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet arrived at Singapore on 06 May 24 to a warm welcome by personnel of Republic of Singapore Navy and the High Commissioner of India in Singapore. The visit is part of the Operational Deployment of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet to the South China sea. This visit is poised to further strengthen the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two maritime nations through a series of engagements and activities.

During the ships’ stay in harbour, various activities planned to be undertaken include interactions with the High Commission of India, professional interactions with the Singapore Navy as also academia and community outreach amongst other activities, reflecting the shared values of both navies. This deployment takes place amid China’s assertive actions in the South China Sea, where the Chinese navy is currently engaged in a standoff with the US-backed Philippines naval ships over the Second Thomas Shoal.

China claims a significant portion of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan have competing claims.

India-Singapore Relationship

The close ties between India and Singapore have a history rooted in strong commercial, cultural and people-to-people links across a millennium.

The more modern relationship is attributed to Sir Stamford Raffles who, in 1819, established a trading station in Singapore on the route of the Straits of Malacca which later became a crown colony and governed from Kolkata till 1867. After independence, India was one of the first countries to recognize Singapore in 1965.

•Singapore is among India’s largest trade and investment partners in ASEAN and accounted for 27.3 % of our overall trade with ASEAN in 2021-22.

•Singapore is also the leading source of Foreign Direct Investment into India.

•Over the last 20 years the total investment into India from Singapore is almost 136.653 billion and accounts for nearly 23% of the total FDI inflows.

Military Exercises:

•Navy: SIMBEX

•Air Force: SINDEX

•Army: Bold Kurukshetra