P-8I Undertakes Mission as Part of SIMBEX 19 at Singapore

P-8I Undertakes Mission as Part of SIMBEX 19 at Singapore

As part of Sea Phase of the ongoing Singapore India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX)-19 IN Ships Kolkata and Shakti conducted various exercises with Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) Ships Steadfast and Valiant in the South China Sea. During the exercise, RSN personnel embarked INS Kolkata and Indian Navy personnel embarked RSS Steadfast as Sea Riders. The Sea Phase will include various maritime combat drills such as advanced aerial tracking, coordinated targeting, tactical exercises and weapon firing on aerial and surface targets. In addition to IN Ships, an Indian Navy P-8I undertook a mission in support of both forces from Paya Lebar Air Base, Singapore. Air Riders from both sides embarked each other’s aircraft to understand operations, capabilities and to imbibe best practices to enhance interoperability. Later, the Indian High Commissioner to Singapore Shri Jawed Ashraf visited the Indian Navy's P-8I aircraft at Paya Lebar Air Base and interacted with the aircrew. He was briefed on the aircraft's capabilities and operations.