Bilateral military cooperation strengthened as both countries extend joint training agreement for five years.
Singapore and India have renewed their bilateral agreement on joint military training for another five years, marking a continuation of strong defence ties between the two nations. The renewal was announced following the 6th India-Singapore Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in New Delhi on October 22, 2024, where Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co-chaired the discussions.
The agreement, first signed in 2008, facilitates joint army training exercises in India. It has led to successful bilateral exercises, including Exercise Bold Kurukshetra (focusing on armour) and Exercise Agni Warrior (focusing on artillery), over the past decade. This renewal is the latest in a series of extensions, which were previously granted in 2013 and 2018 for five-year terms.
During the dialogue, both ministers highlighted the importance of deepening bilateral defence relations, including collaboration in emerging technologies and defence industry partnerships. The ministers also discussed expanding cooperation, including the possibility of Singapore utilizing India’s Chandipur Integrated Test Range for live weapons testing.
The defence ministers also discussed enhancing naval cooperation, marking the 30th year of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (Simbex). Recently, the two navies completed the 30th iteration of Simbex in the South China Sea, which remains the Indian Navy’s longest-running bilateral maritime exercise with any foreign navy.
Air force cooperation is also a key aspect of the defence relationship, with the latest bilateral air exercise taking place in Kalaikunda, India, from October 21 to November 21, 2024. Singapore’s Air Force is participating with F-15SG and F-16 fighter jets, G550 airborne early warning aircraft, and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
In addition to the defence discussions, Dr. Ng met with Indian President Droupadi Murmu, with Singapore’s High Commissioner to India, Simon Wong, extending an invitation for President Murmu to visit Singapore in 2025 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
