Singapore and Thai Navies Conduct Bilateral Exercise

Personnel from the two navies conducting shore planning at Changi Naval Base.

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) conducted a bilateral naval exercise, codenamed Singsiam, from 25 November to 6 December 2013. The closing ceremony was co-officiated by RSN's Commanding Officer 188 Squadron, Colonel (COL) Alan Goh and the RTN's Chief of Staff of Frigate Squadron Two, Captain (CAPT) Wisnu Srangwongmai at the 3rd Naval Area Command Headquarters, Phuket, earlier today.

Hosted by the RTN, this year's exercise commenced with a shore planning phase at Changi Naval Base. A sea phase was conducted in the Strait of Malacca and the Andaman Sea. The RSN participated with a frigate, a missile corvette, and a submarine while the RTN participated with a missile corvette, an anti-submarine warfare corvette, an off-shore patrol vessel, two S-70B naval helicopters and one Dornier-228 maritime patrol aircraft. Speaking at the closing ceremony, COL Goh said that "the successful completion of the exercise significantly enhanced the level of interoperability, mutual understanding and friendship between personnel from both navies, and is testament to the close and long-standing defence relationship between Singapore and Thailand."

The bilateral naval exercise, the 17th in its series, has expanded in scope and complexity over the years. It has evolved from conventional naval warfare exercises to exercises incorporating aerial and underwater warfare scenarios.

Naval ships from the Republic of Singapore Navy and the Royal Thai Navy exercising alongside each other during the sea phase of Exercise Singsiam.