SINGAPORE - The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) are taking part in a 11-day naval exercise called Exercise Singsiam which started last Monday.
The bilateral exercise comprised a shore planning phase at Changi Naval Base and a sea phase in the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea.
The Singapore navy deployed RSS Intrepid, a Formidable-class frigate with a S-70B naval helicopter, RSS Vigour, a Victory-class missile corvette and RSS Archer, an Archer-class submarine for the exercise.
The RTN sent a Naresuan-class frigate HTMS Naresuan, a Chao Phraya-class frigate HTMS Saiburi, two S-70B naval helicopters and one Dornier-228 maritime patrol aircraft.
Colonel Edwin Leong, commanding officer of the RSN's Missile Corvette Squadron, said this is the first time in the history of the biennial exercise that the RSS Archer has been deployed. "Both navies will also deploy their naval helicopters jointly, for the first time, to conduct anti-submarine warfare serials," he said.
The exercise ends with a closing ceremony in Phuket on Thursday.
First held in 1981, Exercise Singsiam has grown over the years to include anti-air and anti-submarine warfare exercises and drills.
