Australian, Singaporean navies conduct joint maritime drill

By Anadolu staff

ANKARA(AA) – A bilateral maritime drill between the navies of Australia and Singapore kicked off on Monday, state media reported.

The three-day exercise billed “Singaroo” will run through Wednesday at RSS Singapura-Changi Naval Base, the Singapore government website reported.

It is the 22nd edition of the bilateral drill, focusing on a series of shore-based exercises and professional exchanges, including simulator training for conventional warfare and damage control.

The exercise involves personnel from the RSN's (Republic of Singapore Navy) Victory-class Missile Corvette RSS Vigour and Formidable-class frigate RSS Stalwart, and the RAN's (Royal Australian Navy) Anzac-class frigate HMAS Stuart.

"Exercise Singaroo is an important bilateral exercise which allows us to carry out high-end training across different domains, thereby enhancing interoperability and strengthening the friendship between both navies," said commanding officer RSS Vigour, Maj. Lim Guan Hong, while speaking at the inaugural ceremony.

Exercise Singaroo first began in 1995.

Beyond bilateral and multilateral exercises, both armed forces also interact frequently through high-level visits, regular dialogues, professional exchanges and the cross-attendance of courses.