Naval exercise to take place in the South China Sea

Naval exercise to take place in the South China Sea

Naval exercise to take place in the South China Sea

With much of the hopes that were pinned on the Indian government’s flagship Act East Policy (AEP) being dashed to the ground because of circumstances—including the political instability in Myanmar—India, in an exercise of its military diplomacy, has reached out to the ASEAN nations by sea.

On Tuesday, the navy chiefs of India and Singapore—Admiral R. Hari Kumar and Rear Admiral Sean Wat—jointly inaugurated the opening ceremony of the inaugural ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME-23) at Changi Naval Base, Singapore.

The Indian Navy chief is on an official visit to Singapore from May 2-4.

India’s AEP seeks to connect with South-East Asian nations. Besides making strategic and military sense in the backdrop of China’s growing naval might in the region, India is also keen to cement commercial relationships with the ASEAN to sell an increasing range of military hardware and equipment.

A big obstacle to the AEP has been the ongoing political turmoil in neighbouring Myanmar, particularly after the military coup of February 1, 2021.

AIME-23 will take place in two phases. The Harbour Phase at RSS Singapura, the Changi Naval Base, from May 2-4, followed by the Sea Phase from May 7-8 in the South China Sea.

The sea phase will see the participating ships tracking the movement of simulated vessels of interest, cued by alerts from the ASEAN and the Royal Singapore Navy’s monitoring systems besides also practising the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES).

Nine ships—including India’s homemade guided missile destroyer INS Satpura and guided missile stealth frigate INS Delhi—six aircraft, and more than 1,800 personnel from the ASEAN member states and India—will take part in the exercise.

An official release said: “The visit of the CNS signifies high level of bilateral defence engagements with Singapore as well as India’s recognition of ‘ASEAN Centrality’ to the region. Participation of the Indian Navy in the inaugural ASEAN – India Maritime Exercise is therefore a milestone event in this context.”

On November 22, 2022, while addressing the India-ASEAN Defence Ministers’ meeting at Cambodia’s Siem Reap, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had highlighted in his address the centrality of ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific region besides being the cornerstone of India’s AEP. 

Significantly, the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue on April 11, 2022, had reaffirmed to promote “regional stability and prosperity, with an inclusive regional architecture, abiding by the rule of law, the freedom of navigation and overflight, peaceful resolution of disputes, and ASEAN centrality” besides stressing on “the importance of adherence to international law to meet challenges to the rules-based order, including in the South China Sea”.

Singapore is co-hosting the AIME in its capacity as the country coordinator for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations from 2021 to 2024. 

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