Singapore, Indonesia conduct bilateral naval exercise

A Republic of Singapore Navy serviceman briefs RSN and Indonesian Navy personnel prior to a joint boarding exercise on board MV Swift Rescue for Exercise Joint Minex Pandu.(Photo:thestar.com.my)

Singapore (VNA) – Over 230 servicemen from the Singapore and Indonesian navies gathered in a six-day bilateral military exercise starting on August 11, which aims to strengthen their coordination ability to counter underwater threats.

Held in Singapore, and in Batam and the waters off Bintan in Indonesia, this year's Joint Minex Pandu exercise included joint mine-countermeasure operations, diving, live gunnery firing, professional exchange on mine clearance diving techniques, and table-top planning exercises.

According to the Ministry of Defence of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) regularly conduct professional exchange, exercises and visits, and also collaborate through the multilateral Malacca Straits Patrol.

The RSN's other bilateral exercise with the TNI AL, Exercise Eagle Indopura, is the Singapore Armed Forces' longest-running bilateral exercise with a foreign military, the ministry said.

These activities underscore the close and longstanding defence relationship between Singapore and Indonesia, it added./.

VNA