Current Affairs - Defence - Discussion

Visakhapatnam, located in Andhra Pradesh, hosted the commencement of the 33rd edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) on October 21, 2026. The exercise involves the Indian Navy and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and aims to strengthen operational interoperability, coordination and maritime cooperation. The harbour phase took place from October 21 to 23, while the sea phase was scheduled for October 24 to 26 in the Bay of Bengal. Singapore participated with the naval ship RSS Supreme, while INS Nilgiri and INS Kamorta represented the Indian Navy at the opening ceremony. Originally launched in 1994 as Exercise Lion King, SIMBEX has become an important part of bilateral defence cooperation.