India to soon start tri-lateral exercise with Singapore: PM Modi

SINGAPORE: India will soon start a new tri-lateral exercise with Singapore with which New Delhi has the longest uninterrupted naval drills, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced here today.
He, however, did not name the third participant.

"India's armed forces, especially our Navy, are building partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region for peace and security, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," Modi said while delivering a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue here.

The forces train, exercise and conduct goodwill missions across the region, he said.

"With Singapore, we have the longest uninterrupted naval exercise, which is in its 25th year now. We will start a new tri-lateral exercise with Singapore soon and we hope to extend it to other ASEAN countries," Modi said.

India and Singapore have signed implementation agreement between their navies concerning mutual coordination, logistics and services support for naval ships', submarines and naval aircraft (including ship borne aviation assets) visits.

India conducts Malabar Exercise with the US and Japan, Modi said, adding that a number of regional partners join in India's Exercise 'Milan' in the Indian Ocean, and participate in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise in the Pacific.

As many as 26 countries including India would participate in the biennial RIMPAC military exercise from June 27 to August 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.

Known as the world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC this year involves 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel.

Ahead of the announcement, the United States had disinvited China from RIMPAC, a move Beijing described as "unfortunate".